Unexpected
by SeriousCrush
Summary: Sookie and Eric meet in Paris. She is still part Fae and a telepath and he is still the sexy Vampire we all know and love but almost everything else is different. Rated M for later lemons.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first attempt at writing fanfic so I really hope you all like it.

This story is AU, OOC, definitely not canon and then some.

Many Thanks to the amazing Northwoman for agreeing to beta this story, I seriously doubt that I would have had the courage to do this without your support.

The SVM and these wonderful characters belong to the brilliant Charlaine Harris.

*I'm reposting this chapter with corrections to the French translations - Thank you albi3252!

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**Unexpected – Chapter 1**

"Sookie, we have to go!" I heard Amelia call, rather loudly, from the hallway.

I took one last look in the mirror, grabbed my coat and bag and headed for the door. "Sorry, hair trouble…" I said, earning a head shake and a scoff from Amelia.

"Your hair is perfect as always and you know it, you were just too busy reading again to actually start getting ready on time." Amelia isn't usually this snarky but she hates being late for class and considering the possible consequences if she missed something important, I couldn't really blame her.

It is true that I tend to get carried away into my own little world when I read but I was always this way when it came to books. I started reading at such an early age that I can't really remember not being able to read or learning how to do it and I always found endless entertainment in a good book.

It was miserable weather outside and I was grateful as always that we had a Metro station so close by, right across the street actually. It's not that I mind a little rain, winter is actually my favorite season, but I really didn't feel like sitting in wet clothes all afternoon.

When I first arrived in Paris, almost two years ago, I was looking for an apartment on the left bank, closer to the university, but when a friend told me about this really cool renovation project of an old convent, dating from the early seventeenth century, into urban living spaces I just had to check it out. The high ceilings and huge windows outweighed the fact that the apartment is rather small (by American standards) and the kitchen is less than adequate, so I ended up taking an apartment on the first floor facing the park that runs the length of the building.

Amelia Broadway, who was surprisingly born and raised in New Orleans, lives in the apartment across the hall from mine. We met the day I moved in when she very kindly offered to help me unpack and we have been friends ever since. We have a lot in common, apart from us both being Americans living in Paris and some similarities in our background and upbringing, as we are both part of the supernatural community.

Amelia is a natural born witch, which I guess makes it easier for her to befriend a 1/4 fairy telepath like me. I'm never quite sure which part of me would be harder for others to accept, if they knew about it that is, being the granddaughter of two half fairies and the great granddaughter of the high prince of the fairies, or being able to read the minds of everyone around me, well everyone besides fairies and vampires of course. Fairy minds are like solid bubbles in various colors, I can guess at their general mood by the color but I can't see what's inside. While vampire minds, from the few that I have met, I can best describe as voids. I can tell that they are there but that's about it.

I'm lucky that even though telepathy isn't actually a Fae trait my grandparents used their powers to help me block everyone's thoughts until I was old enough to do it on my own. I spent all my summers growing up visiting my fae grandparents in Louisiana, learning how to handle my telepathy. My mental training also came in handy when I turned fourteen and needed to learn how to use and control my ability to "pop", well actually the correct term would be teleport, from one point to another. Other than popping, which is general fae ability, I have yet to discover my other powers if I have any others that is. My grandfather says it is too early to tell at my age and that we will just have to wait and see.

As I am doing my Masters in history at the Sorbonne and Amelia is studying magic and training to be a witch in a slightly less known institution right across the street from the famous university we take the Metro together whenever our schedules match which happens twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. After crossing the street and racing into the station we reached the train just in time and managed to get on, in true Parisian fashion, just as the doors were closing.

Since it was the middle of the afternoon there really weren't so many people on the train and I was glad I didn't have to put any effort into maintaining my shields. Most of the time I have excellent control of my ability but I try to avoid rush hour on the Metro as much as possible since the thoughts of so many in such close proximity are sometimes harder to block.

"So, what are we doing tomorrow?" Amelia asked me once we were seated. We both had Wednesday mornings free this year so we usually tried to do something fun together.

"Well, if you feel like it we could go see the new exhibition that just opened at the Petit Palais."

"Sure, that sounds great. What do you say we leave early so we will have enough time to go to the market and make lunch? I feel like cooking."

Amelia is an amazing gourmet cook and her gastronomic creations definitely rival those served in some of Paris' finer restaurants, so I was obviously not going to refuse.

"Oh yum, I can't wait, how about 9:00? The museum only opens at 9:30."

"Ok, 9:00 it is. Oh, before I forget, I have a favor to ask - are you popping over to see your Gran anytime soon?"

"Yeah, I'm supposed to see her on Sunday, why do you ask?"

Under regular circumstances popping home is way out of my range but there's a really nice loophole in our magic that allows fairies to teleport somewhere they consider home regardless of the physical distance. This allows me to visit with my family regularly even while I'm in Paris, something I probably wouldn't have done otherwise since I'm really not a big fan of airplanes.

"I need a rare ingredient for my final project that is practically impossible to find and I hoped that maybe someone in your family could help. I hate to ask but I'm really desperate… I need a dragon's scale. I know it sounds insane but Fairy is the only place I can think of and if they can't get it in Fairy then I'll have to start all over…"

"Amelia stop fretting, I'm sure they would gladly help. I'll ask Gran on Sunday, or if it's urgent I can just call her tonight?"

"Thanks Sookie, I appreciate it. It really isn't urgent though so Sunday's fine. Don't forget to tell your Gran how much I appreciate it Ok?"

"Sure Ames, No problem."

It took us half an hour to reach Odeon station and by the time we got to the Boulevard Saint-Michele Amelia was quite anxious, waving me goodbye before she took off running, mumbling something about being turned into a cat if she was late again.

The seminar I was headed to this afternoon was actually the last one I had to take before completing my obligations for the Masters apart from writing my Theses. It was actually a series of short term seminars under the title of "Historical research in a changing world, old and new theories, methods and perspectives". The individual seminars were given by different visiting professors and experts in various fields and took place every couple of months over a period of two weeks of concentrated and intensive meetings.

The Professor orchestrating the whole thing was quite eccentric, she was actually some kind of supe which I couldn't really identify, and she had decided, "for the sake of mystery", to not reveal any details regarding the mini-seminars in advance, so I actually had no Idea what subject I would be studying for the next two weeks or with whom.

I had about 30 minutes before my class was supposed to start so I sat down at my usual Café and ordered myself a cup of thé au lait. I was sitting on the sidewalk, close to the heater, watching people walk by and letting my mind wonder. As much as I loved living in Paris I didn't really want to stay here forever, especially not now that I am no longer with Thierry, I had so many other places that I wanted to see.

When we broke up six months ago, I really wasn't sure what was more painful, the realization I didn't really know this man (fairy actually), whom I have been dating for over a year, or that I wouldn't be staying In Paris forever as part of me expected. I met Thierry shortly after I arrived in Paris and at first I was swept off my feet. He was extremely handsome and charming, not that that was uncommon in a male fairy, and he seemed to be completely fascinated with me.

After a while though, I started to wonder whether we were really compatible. He is very concerned with social status and appearances and would always insist on reviewing my outfits before we "appeared in public" together. The De Feuilly's are an old and respectable family in both the fae and human worlds and Thierry, as the eldest son, was expected to marry well and continue the family legacy. It did not escape me that the only reason his parents tolerated his relationship with me, a miserable quarter fae, was my royal blood and connections.

I put up with their snobbish attitude because I thought Thierry should not be held accountable for his family's views and behavior but eventually, during another epic argument about "proper behavior in public" it became apparent that the apple hadn't fallen that far from the tree and that Thierry felt he was being generous by "lowering" himself to be with me and overlooking my "flawed" heritage.

I probably should have realized sooner how he really felt but I guess being telepathic I wasn't really proficient at reading people's emotions the regular way, without reading their minds. When I finally saw Thierry for the stuck up, condescending asshole he was, I expected to feel heartbroken and devastated but instead I had to admit that deep down inside I knew he was not the right man for me and although I cared for him, I didn't love him, not really.

The street light in the corner came to life and I was startled out of my reverie by the sudden realization that the sun has already set and that I needed to get going. I gathered my things and was just stepping onto the sidewalk when I hit something solid. I looked up into the most beautiful and intense blue eyes I have ever seen and without even realizing it I smiled. He was very tall, his long blond hair was tied back and away from his face and an incredibly sexy smile was playing on his perfect lips. Our bodies were nearly touching and he was holding my shoulders gently as if to make sure I was not going to lose my balance and fall.

I instinctively re-enforced my shields against the barrage of thoughts that usually crashed on me like a wave whenever I came into physical contact with anyone, but it never came. I couldn't hear his thoughts; He was a void, a vampire actually. Maybe I should have been scared, since Fairies and vampires were natural enemies and fought each other many times throughout history and even though the last war ended over 600 hundred years ago there was still plenty of animosity between the two, but I considered my family's opinions regarding vampires to be outdated and narrow minded. There is a lot of prejudice and hostility between the different races in the supernatural world not to mention the disdain and contempt humans were regarded with by most supes, but I always felt, being a strange mix between human and supe, I really had no right to judge anyone based on what they were.

We stood frozen for a few more seconds, while I admired his impeccably tailored suit and the way the blue of his shirt accentuated his eyes, before I finally remembered the southern manners my grandmother was so adamant on instilling in me and moved slightly back. "Pardon , monsieur."

"vous avez l'air toute douce." He replied in a deep, melodious voice.

"pas vraiment, non." I answered before I could think, my sharp tongue getting the better of me once again.

Unexpectedly his smile grew bigger and his eyes seemed even brighter than before if that was even possible. "Åh, men du är"

He was obviously not expecting me to reply and I silently thanked my mother for insisting both Jason and I learn her native tongue. Spending every Christmas with my grandparents in Stockholm didn't hurt my command of Swedish either.

"Din franska är mycket bra." I said, smiling as his eyebrow rose, indicating his surprise.

"Så är din svenska, Mademoiselle..." he let his voice trail off.

"Sookie, Sookie Brigant." For a second I thought I saw apprehension in his eyes but it was gone so fast I wasn't really sure if it was there in the first place.

"Eric Northman, Ángenä´mt. Vilka andra språk talar du?"

"I speak French with my paternal grandfather and Swedish with my maternal grandparents but most of the time I use English." I felt my smile grow even wider while my eyes never left his. I could have stood there forever, staring at him, but I was getting cold standing in the middle of the street like that and knew I had to hurry if I wanted to get to class on time. "It was very nice to meet you Mr. Northman, I apologize but I really must be going or I will be late for class." I felt almost sad at the thought of never seeing him again and my smile faltered.

"The pleasure was all mine, Sookie, I assure you, no need to apologize."

He pronounced the word pleasure like a caress, in a way that made my spine tingle and my name sounded almost exotic coming out of his lips. For a second I allowed myself to imagine what it would feel like to kiss this incredibly beautiful man but I forced myself to focus and reply.

"Goodbye Eric, perhaps we might see each other again," I almost whispered in response, gazing at the floor in embarrassment.

"Oh, I'm sure we will." he answered in a low voice and when I lifted my eyes he was gone.

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Author's Note:

I sincerely apologize for any mistakes in translation, I used Google translate for the Swedish so I'm quite sure it's awful. My French is much better than my Swedish (which consists of not much more than the days of the week and counting to ten…I have Swedish relatives and I've been to Scandinavia a few times but not since I was 12) but is still far from perfect so…here goes nothing:

*I've corrected the French translations thanks to the magnificent albi3252!

"Pardon, monsieur" – forgive me, sir

"vous avez l'air toute douce." – aren't you sweet?

"pas vraiment, non". – Not really.

"Åh, men du är" – oh, but you are

"Din franska är mycket bra" – your French is very good

"Så är din svenska, Mademoiselle..." – so is your Swedish, miss…

Ángenä´mt. Vilka andra språk talar du?" – pleased to meet you. What other languages do you speak?

BTW – The renovated convent really exists, I have actually lived there for a year… it's called Les Recollets. This is a link to their site if you want to have a better mental picture of the place - http:/www(dot)centre-les-recollets(dot)?l=gb


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to all of you who took the time to read, review and add me to your alerts and favorites. I am so happy that this story is getting such a positive response and your feedback really motivates me to continue writing.

A huge thank you to my fabulous Beta, **Northwoman**. Any mistakes remaining are my own.

The SVM and these wonderful characters belong to the brilliant Charlaine Harris.

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**Unexpected – Chapter 2**

I moved away from her at vampire speed knowing that I will be seeing her again in just a few short moments. I have seen, and been with, countless beautiful women, but she is the most beautiful woman I have seen in over a thousand years of existence. She is perfect, from her dark blue eyes full of light and laughter, the delicate curve of her nose, the very slight blush on her fair, flawless, skin, her beautiful, pink hued, lips, the gracious curve of her neck, even the almost unnoticeable point of her ears to her dark hair cascading in soft waves down her back all the way to her waist, accentuating her feminine curves and her sweet, intoxicating scent, all perfect.

When I reached the entrance to the building I slowed down and proceeded inside. I was making my way towards my destination, room no. 307, ignoring the stares and not so hushed whispers of the young humans I was passing by, both male and female. The door opened as soon as I reached it and I was greeted by Sylvia's warm smile

"Eric, so good to see you again, it has been far too long," she purred in a thick French accent. French was not her first language, of course, but she has been living in France for at least a millennium and adopted the language as her own.

"You are looking as lovely as ever Sylvia. I am very glad the opportunity has arisen for us to meet again or I fear it might have been another century, indeed far too long."

I gave her a warm nod. Sylvia was a river Nymph, one of the last of her kind. We had a very short affair many centuries ago which ended on amiable terms and we stayed in touch ever since, however infrequently, so I was not completely surprised when she contacted me a few months back to ask if I would be interested in giving a seminar about Viking culture to her history students at the Sorbonne. Ever since the great revelation a few years ago I have been traveling the world giving lectures at the behest of different academic institutions looking to utilize the recently discovered resource of immortal beings in historical research.

My motivation in agreeing to participate was admittedly not purely selfless, or academic for that matter. Along with a few other forward thinking vampires I felt it was important to demonstrate our good will towards human society as a way to assuage humanity's fear and apprehension at vampires "coming out of the coffin". Between Pam, my right hand and only child, and the internet I could really handle all my financial affairs quite easily from wherever in the world I happened to be. My new occasional occupation had the added benefit of presenting an ever changing buffet of young willing humans vying for my attention, not that I had to work hard to attract my meals in the past but this was just so easy, lately I have began to think it might be too easy.

"Eric, I apologize again for having to leave immediately after class, but I was invited unexpectedly to a very important conference and I simply cannot refuse. I will be back next week for Etienne's party."

"There is no need to apologize Sylvia; I will be fine. I am quite good at keeping myself occupied and entertained, I have been doing it for a while…"

She grinned and visibly relaxed, "You are right Eric, your joie de vivre is quite uncommon in a vampire and I have never known you to be world-weary as many become after centuries of existence. Would you like to head down to class now? We start in 5 minutes."

Sylvia motioned towards the door and I followed. The classroom was just at the end of the hall and I was pleased to see it was equipped with a large screen as I requested. I tended to use as many visual aids as possible in my lectures because I found that young humans had difficulties imagining a world so different than their own. I was involved, in a consulting position, in the making of a few of the newer cinematic representations of what is now referred to as the Viking age and used these, as well as accurate illustrations and original artifacts, to help my listeners relate to what I was trying to convey.

I plugged my laptop into the room's media system and prepared the film we were going to watch in a little while. I then went back to Sylvia's office for a few moments while the class quickly filled with students. I already knew the names and full backgrounds of all twenty students attending this seminar; I did not get to be this old by being less than thorough and overlooking possible threats, so I was already aware of the presence of a fairy princess, Niall Brigant's great grand-daughter, at this seminar. What I was not prepared for was for her to be the most enchanting, surprising, intriguing creature I have met for a very long time.

I waited a few more seconds until I was sure everyone in the room were seated and then I walked in, taking my time to reach the low stage at the front of the room. Usually I would be scanning the women present, looking for tonight's entertainment, but tonight my attention was focused on Sookie, who was seated, quite conveniently, in the front row, slightly to the right of the center of the room, her head held high in a pose befitting her royal heritage. The front row was quite empty as the classroom was big enough to seat 40 and there were many vacant seats. If the little fairy was surprised to see me here she controlled her reaction remarkably well, a slightly raised eyebrow and the quickening of her heart were the only signs that she even noticed me entering the room.

I swept over the room with my eyes before I allowed myself to look straight into Sookie's eyes before I smiled and addressed the class. "Good evening, let me begin by introducing myself. I am Eric Northman. I am a vampire. I was born sometime after the year 900 AD in a little village located in what would now be considered Sweden. Modern day research would refer to me and my contemporaries as Vikings. For the next two weeks I will do my best to allow you some insight into the world that I was born into and the more interesting parts of my experiences over the last millennium.

Historical research has been dependent for centuries on the limited information provided by textual resources and the occasional support of archeological findings that require heavy gap-filling and interpretation. The great revelation has provided an invaluable new resource for those interested in studying the past. The resource I am referring to is, of course, a vampire's firsthand experience of historical times and events. An individual vampire is obviously only able to describe the experiences of his own private existence and the description will most certainly be that of a single perspective and point of view, but the amount of historical information that can be gathered from the experiences of vampires as a whole, with the growing collaboration between vampire and human society, will surely change the field of historical research and provide material for study for decades to come.

Although this is by no means a course on vampirism or vampire history and the main concern of this seminar would be my experience of the human world, I will explain, when relevant, certain aspects of a vampire's existence. I will not be wasting my time or yours on exercises or assignments, nor will I be handing out grades or checking attendance. I hope that you might benefit from my experience but I am not a teacher, nor do I wish to be. Are there any questions thus far?"

I concluded, finally looking away from Sookie to survey the room. I did not expect any questions at this point and indeed there were none, the humans were obviously still a little shocked and understandably intimidated to address me so soon, I therefore continued.

"I would like us to begin by watching a film which I am sure none of you have watched as it is yet to be released. This film is a recent Hollywood representation of Viking culture around the year 1000 and it would serve as a good starting point for our discussion tomorrow evening."

Sylvia turned off the lights and sat in the back as I started the film and took a seat next to Sookie. The movie is actually quite accurate and I feel it portrays my people in a balanced and fair manner. I spent a month in LA about four years ago helping the director fine-tune his ideas and I guess I made an impression since the Swedish actor who played the leading role bears a striking resemblance to me, although he obviously is not as attractive.

I was finding it hard to concentrate on the movie. Sookie's scent enveloped me and I was basking in the warmth that radiated from her. If just being close to her, listening to her heart beat and savoring her scent felt this good, what would it feel like to explore her sweet mouth with my tongue? To caress her luscious body with my fingers? I have never, in all my years, craved a woman's touch with such force. I was fighting to keep my fangs in place and my cock was straining against the fabric of my pants.

I was surprised at the intensity of my reaction to her. I have had many dealings with the fae, some more amicable than others, so I was familiar with the effect fairies have over vampires, but this was quite different. Although I was definitely aroused I did not lose myself in a sexual haze and I did not feel the urge to drain Sookie dry. I did however want to fuck her and bite her and rub myself all over her. This was not the time though; I needed to regain my control.

I forced myself to focus on the screen. It was such sweet torture being this close to Sookie without being able to touch her and I was equally distressed and relieved when the movie finally ended. I returned to my place on stage while Sylvia turned the lights back on.

"I know we have twenty more minutes but I think we will finish here. We will meet again tomorrow at 17:45 to discuss your impressions of the movie and answer any questions that you might have. "

I waited for Sylvia to shut down the lights and lock the door after the last student left the classroom and then escorted her back to her office where I left my bag.

"D'accord, I need to get going if I am going to catch my flight. You will be at the party right?"

"Of course I will, Etienne would not forgive me if I missed it. We will see each other next Friday, have a safe flight and enjoy the conference."

"Thank you Eric, goodnight."

"Goodnight Sylvia."

I made my way out of the now almost deserted building at vampire speed. I could see Sookie bidding a few people goodnight before heading in the opposite direction on her own. I slowed down a few paces behind her allowing her to sense my approach since I did not want to startle her.

"Hello Sookie."

I matched my pace to hers so I can walk beside her and smiled at her surprised expression.

"Hello Eric or do you prefer I called you Professor Northman?"

"I am sorry I did not tell you who I was but our encounter was so short and I saw no harm in a little surprise as we were both in a hurry. I confess I was happy to discover that I would be seeing you again so soon."

She smiled then and her heart rate increased slightly. I smiled back and reached for her hand.

"Sookie, I would be honored if you allow me to take you out tomorrow night after class."

Her heart actually skipped a beat, which I took as a good sign but then her brows furrowed.

"Eric, are you sure that's a good idea, couldn't you get in trouble for inappropriate conduct or something?"

"There is nothing inappropriate about it. I am not really your teacher, I have no official position with the university and I will not be reading your papers or grading them. We are quite free to enjoy each other's company if we wish. So, do you wish to, Sookie?" I gave her my signature crooked smile

"Yes, Eric. I would like to go out with you tomorrow. Do you want to leave right after class?"

"No, I think I would prefer to come 'pick you up'; I believe is the correct term, if that is acceptable to you of course."

"I would prefer that too to be honest as I would like to change my clothes after class but I live on the other side of Paris, in the 9th Arrondisement, are you sure you want to pick me up?"

"That is fine Sookie, My apartment is in the 3rd so it will not take me long to reach you. How are you getting home tonight? Do you need a ride?"

"That's very nice of you Eric, but I don't want to bother you, I hear traffic in the city is terrible and taking the Metro is really convenient."

"It is no bother, I hear the Metro is not as pleasant at night as it is during the day and there is no need to worry about traffic as we will not be getting there by car."

"Ok Eric, I'm curious now, how do you plan on taking me home then?"

"Well, if you wrap your arms tightly around me and close your eyes you will find out soon enough."

She contemplated my offer for a minute and then replied with a hesitant smile.

"Very well Eric, I'm not sure why I do, but I trust you."

She then wrapped her arms around my neck and closed her eyes. I secured her in my arms and took off into the air. Sookie's eyes flew open and she gasped in surprise clinging to me with her arms and legs wrapped tightly around me.

"Relax Sookie, I have you, I will not let any harm come to you." I said and she loosened her grip slightly.

Once she got accustomed to the unfamiliar feeling her breathing and heart rate returned to normal and she seemed to relax.

"Eric, this is definitely better then the Metro…"

I was flying quite slowly since I was in no real hurry and I did not wish Sookie to be hit with the full power of the cold wind. Sookie directed me to her home and soon we were slowly descending on the doorstep of her building.

"Thank you Eric, That was amazing."

She looked at me with an expression of pure joy, her arms still wrapped around my neck, and I could not stop myself. I lowered my head and allowed our lips to meet. It was almost like a spark ignited within me the second my lips touched hers and I was burning with a passion so hot I thought it might consume me. A soft moan escaped her lips and I gained access into her warm, beautiful mouth.

Her lips were so soft and she tasted so unbelievably sweet my fangs popped out so quickly they scraped my tongue. When a drop of my blood made its way down Sookie's throat it felt like an electric current went through my body. Sookie's heartbeat was frantic and I let my hands trail down her back to the soft delicious curve of her waist. I was supporting most of her weight as her knees did not seem to hold her, and the curves of her small body seemed to fit perfectly with my much larger one. Sookie caressed my fangs gently with her tongue and I felt my control slipping.

I lifted her against the wall with my hands supporting her thighs and her legs wrapped tightly around my waist, capturing my throbbing erection right against her warm, moist center. We both gasped at the sensation and I started trailing light kisses down her neck and the tops of her breasts. Sookie's hands tangled in my hair and she moaned, her breathing becoming labored. I heard the elevator door open and close on one of the upper floors and the elevator starting to descend and I forced myself to stop, even though the scent of her arousal and the sensation of my blood rushing through her body made it almost impossible. I kissed her lips one more time, almost reverently, and set her gently on the ground.

"The elevator is on its way down and I did not think you would appreciate the audience."

"Thank you, I should probably be going inside anyway…" Sookie seemed flushed and slightly embarrassed and I felt the need to reassure her.

"I apologize if I made you uncomfortable, I meant to give you a simple good night kiss but you are simply intoxicating and I did not control myself as well as I would have wished."

She seemed to slightly relax at my words and replied with a soft smile on her lips. "I'm sorry, this is just a little sudden and I don't usually behave this way but I don't want you to feel bad about it and I definitely don't regret it. It was the best kiss I've ever had…" she uttered the last part almost inaudibly and if I was human I would not have been able to hear it.

I felt myself smirking at her words but said nothing in response.

"So, I guess I will see you tomorrow?"

"I'm looking forward to it."

"Me too. Goodnight Eric."

"Goodnight Sookie." I leaned forward and whispered the words in her ear, allowing my lips to linger for a second on the barely pointed tip. I waited until Sookie turned to open the building door before I took to the air.

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A/N:

Paris quarters are called Arrondisement as there are 20 of them so they are hardly quarters. Here is a link to a map of Paris' Quarters for anyone interested in Eric and Sookie's relative locations in Paris -http:/www(dot)bestparishotels(dot)net/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/paris-districts-map(dot)gif

Please let me know if you liked it…


	3. Chapter 3

So, here is the next chapter. I am not alternating POV's every chapter but rather allowing the story to "flow" using what feels like the right POV so here is some more Viking for you all…

Thanks again for all of your reviews, alerts and favorites, They really do mean so much.

Thank you **Northwoman** for being the awesome beta that you are. Any remaining mistakes are of course mine.

As always, the SVM and these wonderful characters belong to the brilliant Charlaine Harris. Not to me…

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**Unexpected – Chapter 3**

I did not understand the effect this woman had on me and normally I would have been concerned but it felt so right holding her in my arms I could not bring myself to doubt it. I did not survive for a thousand years by letting my emotions dictate my actions but my existence was not devoid of emotion either. I have always relied on my instincts when it came to assessing potentially dangerous situations and they have never led me astray.

As a being animated purely by magic I knew there were forces, which I could not see or fathom, driving the world around us and controlling certain aspects of it. My instincts were not telling me to be wary of Sookie, on the contrary, I could not help but feel that she was somehow important to my well being. I knew I was far from understanding whatever was happening between us but I knew I wanted to be close to her, to get to know her.

Flying always helps me clear my mind and tonight was no different. As I landed in front of my building and punched in the code I still had many questions but I was calm and in control again. It was a few minutes after 21:00 when I entered the apartment, left my bag on the floor and crossed the living room into the kitchen to get myself a blood. I dialed Pam while the blood was heating and she answered just as I took the warm bottle out of the microwave.

"Good evening Eric, I hope all is well?"

"Of course Pam, I hope the same is true for you?"

Some makers do not act so familiar with their children but we are closer than most. Pam is not only my child but also my right hand and business partner. She is very loyal to me and I am very protective of her. It is quite unusual for a vampire child to stay this close to their maker after the first hundred years or so but Pam is free to choose her own path and go when and where she wishes, she usually prefers to stay and work with me and I admit that pleases me.

"I'm well Eric, I forwarded a few e-mails that I would like for you to look over and Cataliades sent over some papers he needs both of us to sign, I'm express shipping them tonight, they will be at the apartment tomorrow at sunset."

Pam was nothing if not efficient and I trusted her to take care of things while I was away but certain things still required my personal attention.

"That is fine, any news from Louisiana?"

"The Queen is on board with our suggestion of auctioning the bar off to the highest bidder; she just asks we inform her of the highest offer before we accept so she might approve the transaction."

In the months leading to the great revelation Pam and I worked on a new business venture. We decided to open a bar, or rather a tourist trap, dedicated to all things vampire. We didn't want to test our new idea in one of the popular tourist destinations because we wanted to be able to assess its potential in a neutral environment. After some research we chose Shreveport, Louisiana as the site of our "experiment".

"Fangtasia" proved to be extremely lucrative. On top of encouraging local tourisms the bar seemed to attract a more regular clientele of humans, usually described as "fang bangers", who are fascinated with vampires and are willing to do practically anything to "be" with one. Most of these pathetic creatures aspire to become vampires themselves, but this is obviously something they can never expect to achieve. Fangtasia was entertaining for a short while, making it absolutely unnecessary to go anywhere else for a feed and a fuck, but neither Pam nor I could stand the vermin, as Pam so aptly calls them, or the gothic persona that was expected of all vampires in attendance in such an establishment.

A trusted vampire named Felicia has been running the bar for us for the past few years but we have recently decided it was time to sell as we have been getting very appealing proposals from several interested parties that wish to purchase the bar, and especially the idea behind it, and turn it into a nationwide chain. We decided an auction would be the easiest way to handle the sale and needed Sophie Anne's approval as the bar is in her territory.

"Good, let's proceed with the auction as planned then; I think three weeks from now will give us sufficient time to prepare. Ask Cataliades to send a formal notice to everyone interested in participating and start working on the paperwork."

"I will get right on it Eric, are you enjoying yourself? Oh, I can't believe I forgot to ask you, how was the fairy?"

"I haven't **had** the fairy, Pamela, but I certainly wouldn't mind. She is the most interesting creature I have encountered in a long time and if her scent is any indication she must be delicious."

"You mean you haven't had the fairy **yet, **andif you wish to, which seems to be the case, then you most definitely will as we both know that no woman is able to resist you. Oh, and what did you "Pamela" me for? I was on my best behavior."

"Very well, I will leave you to attend to the matters that we discussed."

I hung up before she could respond, effectively preventing her from harassing me further about Sookie. Pam never tires of "messing with me" as she likes to put it and I am too fond of her to deny her the pleasure. None beside her and my maker can claim to know the softer side of me and neither of them will ever wish to hurt me by revealing to anyone else that I have such a side. Vampires are strong or they are finally dead.

I went to the office to check my e-mails. I quickly reviewed and handled the matters that Pam had referred to me. It was mostly financial information concerning our many investments and holdings with the exception of one or two new business opportunities that I intended to review again at a later time. The part of the night dedicated to business was over but the night was still young. I was expected at an establishment named "Etienne", a club of sorts, owned and run by Etienne De Lambert, the vampire sheriff of Paris and an old friend.

After a quick but refreshing shower I chose a fitted dark grey suit with a crisp white shirt underneath. I decided to forgo the tie and left the top two buttons of the shirt unbuttoned. Since the club was not far I decided to fly, the cold did not bother me obviously and I did not enjoy driving in Paris, it really isn't made for cars. In less than a minute I was at the entrance, an unimposing door in a small street guarded by a large vampire. I nodded at the guard and he opened the door to let me pass.

The "Etienne" was not a new establishment; it was founded in the late 1800's to provide a safe place for the vampires of Paris to convene in private. As I walked in I could see much has changed since the last time I was here. The club has, of course, been updated many times over the years, but although it was every bit as elegant and tasteful, I could hardly recognize it. The club was much larger than I remembered it, the dance floor had been expanded and a bar was added, serving not only blood but alcohol as well for the human patrons. This in itself was another major change. When I was here last, about a decade before the great revelation, the only humans allowed inside were trusted pets and glamoured meals.

As I looked around the room now I could see that although this was definitely an invite only establishment, there were quite a few humans on the dance floor and at the tables. Etienne greeted me on the stairway leading down to the club's main floor.

"Eric, it is good to see you, old friend."

We were both fluent in many languages but we preferred to use English, out of habit mainly, as we were both residing in England at the time we formed our acquaintance, around 350 years ago.

"And you as well, I am very happy to be here. I can see that you have been keeping yourself busy. The club looks wonderful. It is very impressive how you managed to expand and improve it so much while preserving its authentic feel and look."

"I am glad you like it. The renovation took longer than I had hoped. I had to shut down the club for a while, but I am quite pleased with the result. We bought the adjacent building and used the space inside for the expansion, the façade was left untouched. Beside the dance floor and the bar we expanded the restrooms, added some much needed office space and an urban garden retreat on the roof which I am told will be very sought after in the summer."

"What brought on this change, Etienne? Not that I disapprove, I'm merely surprised, as you were always wary of allowing humans access to our world."

"That is still true to a certain degree, Eric, but after the great revelation I felt it was appropriate that I, as sheriff, tried to integrate more fully into the human world. The club is still very exclusive and only those humans who appear on our list are allowed in but I found that there is a lot to be gained by cultivating some human connections. Here, let me show you the bar, I believe you will find it interesting."

We walked down the exquisite work of art that was the staircase in the "Etienne", inspired by the magnificent staircase situated in what is today the Jacquemart-Andre museum and created by the same gifted architect. The club had a timeless, classical design with white marble and stone accentuated by black ornate metalwork and colorful and sumptuous textiles. It was elegant and impressive without being gaudy or overwhelming. Etienne, not unlike me, took great pleasure in beauty and the club was his greatest achievement in that respect.

Etienne led me to his table which was of course perfectly situated and allowed him, and his guests, to survey the club in its entirety without leaving the table. Once we were both seated a waitress appeared, wearing a simple but elegant black dress.

"Would you like something to drink?" she asked in a heavy French accent.

"We will have the tasting menu, Claudette." Etienne answered and proceeded to explain, "I thought you would enjoy a demonstration of some of the rare and unique bloods that we now serve. Besides having a very large selection of the finest brands of bottled blood we also stock some bloods that are nearly impossible to procure elsewhere."

Etienne's vampire ability was his exceptionally acute sense of taste. The amount of information he could gather on a person just by tasting their blood was astounding. As a result he was also very concerned with the origin and quality of the blood he consumed.

"Now I'm intrigued old friend, to hear you this excited about bottled blood is quite unusual…" Just then the waitress returned with a large platter holding three sets of two small and exquisite long stemmed crystal glasses filled with what I could already tell was not synthetic blood.

"These are my latest creations, Artisanal bloods if you wish, all 100% human blood procured from willing donors. The blood is drawn and bottled under the strictest sterile conditions to insure it doesn't come into contact with any kind of contaminant. No preservatives are added so the taste is pure and untainted. There are three different vintages – Organic, which is blood from humans who maintain a completely organic, pesticide free diet; Antique, which is blood from humans who only consume food and drink that existed in the old world before the colonization of the America's; and finally Citronierre, which is blood from members of the famous Citronierre family, known throughout the vampire world for their unique citrus flavored blood. Now we should drink, while the blood is still warm."

"Etienne, I am impressed with your talent and ingenuity." I said while lifting the first glass from my side of the platter and proceeding to taste Etienne's creations.

They were all quite good, a far cry from the offensive synthetic crap that usually passes for bottled blood. I was surprised at how different the Antique blood tasted from that of the average modern day human. I was aware that a difference existed, with the extensive changes in human eating habits but the change was gradual and happened over hundreds of years so it was hard to remember what exactly had changed. My favorite of the three was the Citronierre which was really quite unique. I was of course aware of the existence of the Citronierre family but never had the opportunity to taste any of its members.

"So, old friend, what do you think?" Etienne asked after we both finished our glasses.

"You have outdone yourself Etienne, this really is unique, I especially like the Citronierre, it actually tastes of citrus, quite remarkable."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it Eric, you know I value your opinion very much. I'm especially glad that you liked the Citronierre since tonight's entertainment is not quite over."

When I lifted a questioning brow at him he raised his hand at the direction of the bar.

"I wouldn't be a very good host if all I could offer you was bottled blood, regardless of its quality, would I?"

"I have never known you to be anything less of a gracious host Etienne."

I turned around to look at the two elegantly dressed women approaching the table.

"Eric Northman, these are Jacqueline and Josephine de Citronierre."

"Good evening ladies."

The two petite blondes nodded at me and I returned the gesture. They were both very attractive and they both had a fresh, citrusy scent.

"Jacqueline is my pet," Etienne gestured at the slightly older sister and patted her knee "and Josephine is her younger sister."

"Very nice to meet you both, are you both involved in Etienne's artisanal blood project?"

"Oh yes, we both donate blood regularly. Did you like our special vintage?" Josephine was the one who answered my question.

She smiled suggestively and made no attempt to hide her interest in me. Normally I would not hesitate to fuck her and feed from her, especially with the added allure of her unique blood, but tonight I was obviously not quite my normal self since I found the girl slightly repulsive. She was very pretty but her beauty was artificial and paled in comparison to Sookie's.

"I am afraid I must bid you goodnight Eric, I must take care of an urgent matter that requires my attention as Sheriff but we will see each other again soon enough. You are obviously welcome to stay as long as you like and enjoy yourself."

Etienne excused himself and left the table. I stayed for a few more minutes surveying the club and its patrons while my two companions made futile attempts at capturing my attention. At last I had had enough and decided to leave.

"Ladies, I apologize but I too will have to take my leave as I still have some business to attend to tonight."

I was up in the air as soon as I stepped outside the club's door. I was frustrated in more than one sense and slightly irritated at the direction my evening has taken. I did not fully understand my own motives for leaving the club as I did and I was not used to feeling unsure about anything, not to mention feeling that way about my own behavior.

When I reached the apartment I reviewed the e-mails Pam wished me to comment on, sent a quick e-mail to my day man with instructions for tomorrow and finished everything else I needed to do tonight before I rest. I then decided to take a long relaxing shower. I let the hot water wash over me for a long time, allowing myself to slip into the vampire equivalent of day dreaming. I ran the night's events and my encounter with Sookie in my mind, trying to make sense of everything that happened to me tonight but instead of helping me relax this only served to heighten my frustration. I got out of the shower, toweled off and headed to the bedroom, locking the door securely behind me.

I slipped under the thick soft duvet covering the bed and I thought of Sookie's luscious body and velvety soft lips to help me release some of my frustration. I rarely needed to do this as I had no difficulty in finding willing partners but my body was screaming for some kind of release. Feeling slightly more relaxed and with Sookie's scent still lingering in my mind, I allowed the sun to pull me into rest.

* * *

Author's note –

The Jacquemart-Andre museum is very impressive and the staircase truly is a work of art. I do not imagine "Etienne" looking exactly like the museum but the atmosphere is similar. Here is a link to the museum's website if you want to take a look (pictures 14 and 15 in the interior sights gallery feature the magnificent staircase although they don't do it justice) –http:/www(dot)musee-jacquemart-andre(dot)com/en/jacquemart/607-pictures/


	4. Chapter 4

This one is a little longer than the others so I hope you like it.

Thanks to everyone for your lovely reviews, they truly inspire me to keep writing.

A huge Thank you to my magnificent Beta, **Northwoman**. I made a few changes after she did her magic so even more than usual any remaining mistakes are **mine**.

The great Charlaine Harris owns all of these wonderful playthings, I don't.

* * *

**Unexpected – Chapter 4**

I woke up suddenly to the grey morning light barely filtering through the trees outside my windows and the slightly surreal feeling of having just climaxed in my sleep. I struggled to hang on to the delicious dream I was having about a certain Viking but to no avail. After a few minutes of lingering in the warm covers, pleasantly reliving last night's incredible kiss I got out of bed and headed for the shower.

I always shower first thing in the morning since I simply can't seem to wake up fully otherwise. I didn't wash my hair as I intended to do it in the afternoon, before class, so I was out of the shower quite quickly. I dressed casually in dark jeans, black boots and a soft, black sweater. While I waited for the water in the kettle to boil I put my hair up in a ponytail and crossed the hall to knock on Amelia's door.

"Good morning! Sleep well?" Amelia opened her door with her usual morning cheer.

"Morning. Do you want to bring your coffee over?" I answered not quite as cheerfully since I'm hardly a morning person.

"Sure, I'll be right there."

I went back to my kitchen to finish making my tea. I only drink black tea with lots of milk and sugar. My great grandfather Niall taught me to drink it this way when I was younger and he almost always brings me an interesting new blend to try when he comes to visit.

When Amelia came in we both took our mugs and sat down at the little table next to the window.

"So, how was your seminar? What's it about? I hope it's more interesting than the last…how anyone can be interested in the history of rabbit migration is beyond me…"

"Well, you might find this one slightly more interesting Ames, it's given by a 1,000 year old vampire…"

Amelia cut me off before I could continue."Really? A vampire? Are you sure that's safe for you? Aren't fairies supposed to be vampire treats or something?"

"That's only true for full blooded fairies. My fairy scent is not strong enough to cause a vampire to lose control."

"Ok, so what is he like? Is he dark, dangerous and dead sexy?"

"More like a Viking sex god actually."

"Ooooh, sounds interesting. Did he ask you out yet?"

"What? Ames, sometimes it really isn't fun being your best friend, how do you know that?"

"Elementary Watson, you are stunning. Any man in his right mind would definitely be interested in dating you and a thousand year old vampire can't be stupid or he wouldn't have survived for so long, so it's just logical to assume that he would ask you sooner rather than later." Amelia has a thing for Sherlock Holmes and can get carried away sometimes.

"Let me see if I understand, Sherlock, according to your theory every single straight guy I meet should ask me out and we both know that, thankfully, isn't the case."

"Of course not, most of them are much too insecure to approach you, or they feel you are out of their league but the Viking, judging by your colorful description, obviously doesn't have that problem so he would ask an amazingly beautiful woman like you out."

"Fine, he asked me out, can we stop now? You're making me uncomfortable."

Amelia likes to say that I'm "impossibly beautiful" but I don't really see it. It's not that I consider myself ugly or anything, it's just that fairies maintain their ideal weight easily and tend to be pretty lucky in the hair/skin/teeth departments. I grew up surrounded by my very beautiful fairy relatives so I guess I never felt there is something out of the ordinary about the way I look. Most of the time when I look in the mirror I'm satisfied with what I see, but it's not like I'm perfect and I'm definitely not one of those people who obsess about being beautiful. I'm just me I guess.

"Sorry, I get carried away. I just think it's great that you're finally going out with someone new; it's about time you moved on from that snobbish douche bag. So, when are you seeing him?"

"He's taking me out tonight after class. I'm not sure I should have agreed but I feel drawn to him. We kissed when he brought me home last night and it was the most amazing kiss I have ever had. I wanted him so much I felt like I was on fire. And he is only here for two weeks so…"

"Sweetie, you should let go and listen to your instincts for once. You agreed because you want to go out with him and there is nothing wrong with that. It has been far too long since you last had sex and I think a "Viking sex god" might be just what you need."

Amelia isn't the most subtle person in the world but she just wants me to be happy. I'm not a virgin but I'm not that experienced either. I just seem to have bad luck when it comes to relationships.

My first boyfriend, Jeff, was human. We started dating when I was 16 but after a while I realized I could never just relax and be myself with him. It was just too much pressure, having to both control my telepathy at all times and disguise who I really was. I tried going out with a few other guys but even the nice ones couldn't help thinking about my body or what they imagined I would look like naked and that was really unappealing to me so I simply gave up on dating and concentrated on my studies instead.

My less then stellar social calendar finally got me accepted to Harvard where I met Alcide Herveax. As a werewolf I couldn't read his mind as well or as easily as humans which made it much easier for me to relax around him. I also didn't need to hide my ability or my relatives from him. We spent a lot of time together, studying, hanging out and making love but we were never really serious. We were together for almost two years until we broke up when I left for Paris.

I wanted to see the world and he felt he needed to return home to take his place in his father's construction company and in the pack. We both realized I would never be OK with him sleeping with female pack members in the interest of enlarging the pack and that I would never fit in. Even though we did love each other I guess neither of us was willing to sacrifice their dreams for the other.

So far I tried, not very successfully, to date humans, weres and fairies. Perhaps a vampire was exactly what I needed.

"Maybe you're right, I should at least give this thing with Eric a chance."

"Great, now let's go, we don't have all day."

"Wow Ames, I've never seen you this excited about going to the museum before."

"The museum can wait. We have some shopping to do! There's nothing like a brand new pair of shoes to make a woman feel good about her self."

I laughed and grabbed my bag and coat knowing that it was useless to try and argue with Amelia about shopping. I had already decided on the dress I was going to wear but I did end up buying new shoes, a new coat and a few sets of sexy lingerie which Amelia claimed I desperately needed. Amelia of course managed to buy something in every store we visited and we were both famished by the time we finished.

We decided to have lunch at our favorite neighborhood Bistro on our way home. We sat down at an empty table by the window and the waitress came by to take our orders. Today's menu was written in chalk on a small blackboard. The selection was small but we knew from experience that whatever they served was excellent. We gave the waitress our orders and she immediately returned with our drinks.

"So, are you going to tell me what is it you're worried about?" Amelia asked once the waitress disappeared back into the kitchen.

"What if he simply wants to sleep with me?"

"Well, he would have to be insane **not** to want to sleep with you but that doesn't necessarily mean that's all he wants. You should stop thinking for once and just allow yourself to have some fun and if it turns out nothing serious comes out of it then at least you would have some really hot sex with a gorgeous man that has a 1000 years of experience and can presumably do it all night long without getting tired, if the rumors about vampires' sexual prowess are true."

I could feel the tips of my ears getting hot even though I usually didn't blush. We were speaking in English and I knew that if the people around us even heard what we have been talking about they didn't necessarily understand but I still felt embarrassed, especially since the mere mention of sex with Eric made a delicious shiver of anticipation run through me. Our waitress chose that moment to appear with our food effectively breaking the conversation and my growing embarrassment.

The salmon I ordered was amazing followed by a simple but delicious desert of Fromage Blanc with honey and by the time we finished and paid I felt a little tired and decided to take a nice long nap before my afternoon class.

"Ames, I think I will go home now and sleep for an hour or two so I wouldn't be too tired tonight."

"That's a good idea, Sook. Do you mind going home alone? I still want to go to the market."

"Sure, you go on to the market and I'll see you later."

"Fine, I'll come by at around 20:00 to wish you good luck."

I walked the short distance home, enjoying the coolness of the air. When I entered the building I found a beautiful box sitting on my doormat. On top of the box was an envelope with my name written on it in large beautiful print. I picked up the box and went inside. I opened the envelope rather curious as to its sender and content.

The note in the envelope read "Sookie, please try to get some rest during the day, since our destination tonight is outside Paris and I do not wish you to be tired by the time we arrive. I hope you will give me the great pleasure of wearing my gift when you rest as I hope it will make you think of me as I am thinking of you." It was signed with a large ornate "E".

The box was white with a large black ribbon with white polka dots. Inside was a light pink slip with tiny black dots. It was extremely soft and very slightly sheer and I was immediately in love with it. Normally I would think receiving a gift from a man after knowing him for less than 24 hours, and such a personal gift at that, is in poor taste and if Eric had been anyone else I would probably have returned it. But as an historian with many ancient relatives I knew that social interaction between men and women was quite different a thousand years ago so I gave Eric the benefit of the doubt by accepting his gift in the spirit I thought it was intended.

Sure, it was cocky and he was assuming much by sending me this gift but I didn't feel someone like Eric needed to buy his way into women's pants. Hell, he could probably melt a woman's panties just by looking at her so I had to assume the sentiment conveyed in the note was genuine and that he was simply very sure of himself. Confidence in a man is not a fault in my book. On the contrary, it can be very, very sexy when it's warranted.

I closed the curtains, took off my clothes, brushed my teeth and put on Eric's gift. It was soft and smooth against my skin and I fell asleep almost instantly. I apparently managed to turn off the alarm I set on my cell phone before going to sleep since I woke up at 17:15 very refreshed having slept almost three hours.

I decided to pop to class since I was running late. Since my powers were not fully developed yet I could only pop to places I've been before and I had to be really careful not to be seen by anyone so I didn't normally pop when there were other means of transportation available. Apparently, it's supposed to become much easier as I grow into my powers and learn to control them fully.

I washed my hair and used my favorite deep moisturizing mask, wrapping my head in a towel for 15 minutes while I had another cup of tea. After washing the mask off I washed my face, brushed my teeth again and pulled my hair into a high bun. This was not only a quick and easy style it would also allow my hair to fall in soft, beautiful waves when I'll let it down in the evening. I dressed quickly in a light pink sweater dress with black leggings and boots added a black belt and scarf and headed for the door. After grabbing my black bag and coat I popped myself into a deserted corridor on the 3rd floor and walked to the classroom.

I took my seat in the front row and looked around. Everyone seemed to be already there even though we still had 5 minutes before class started and I couldn't help but notice that more than a few people, female and male, looked more like they were going to a club than to class. If the slip he sent me was any indication I didn't think Eric was really into the black and gothic style but I guess most people just assumed that was appealing to vampires.

At exactly 17:45 Eric walked into the classroom looking incredible in a light blue sweater and black slacks. He looked straight at me and I immediately felt myself getting wet. I was hoping he couldn't sense it since I knew vampires have extremely keen senses but the smirk he flashed in my direction told me he probably could. I was so embarrassed I felt the tips of my ears getting warm again but I couldn't take my eyes away from Eric as he sat down in his chair right in front of me.

"Good evening. I would like to start tonight by telling you a little about my human life. As I already told you yesterday, I was born around the year 900 in a small village on the shores of the North Sea. My father was the chieftain and leader of our clan and as the eldest son I was destined to become chieftain myself after my father's death.

"As history students you probably already know that human life spans and consequently the length of the different stages in life were quite different than they are today. At the age of 12 I was considered a man and could hold my own in battle and at the age of 16 I was married to the daughter of the chieftain of a neighboring clan. She and our sixth child both died a few hours after he was born."

Eric's expression softened almost imperceptibly when he was talking of his family and I couldn't help but feel sympathy for his loss even though it happened so many centuries ago.

"Death of women in childbirth was a normal occurrence when I was human and so was the death of young children. Only three of my children were still living when I became Vampire."

A girl in the 3rd row raised her hand tentatively. I opened my mind to hers and found out her name was Michelle and she thought Eric was "super beau".

"Yes?" Eric asked, indicating with a hand gesture for the girl to go on.

"It must have been devastating for you to leave your family behind when you died, Eh, I mean when you became vampire, do you have any idea what happened to them?"

Eric seemed to consider his answer for a few seconds before he answered.

"I was of course very distraught at first to part with my family but I really did not have a choice in the matter, Fate had determined that my time as a human was over as I received fatal wounds in battle and would have died that night if I had not been turned. I was saddened that my children will be orphaned, as my wife had died only the year before, but I felt assured that they would be taken care of and loved by my parents and brothers. Our lives were very different than yours. Families lived in multi-generational households and it was very common for parents to die at a young age, leaving young children behind who were subsequently raised by their remaining relatives. I was very lucky to have two living parents at the time of my first death. I was the exception though, my children were the norm."

I noticed he chose to leave the question of what happened to his family unanswered and wondered if it was too painful a memory or if he actually had living descendants that he knew of. I raised my hand slightly and he nodded for me to speak.

"Popular historical views have always maintained that the Vikings were brutal savages and that rape was a common practice in Viking raids. But just as medieval times were labeled the dark ages because the Renaissance people who labeled them so felt superior to their predecessors so the historical perception of the Vikings had been heavily influenced by their enemies' description of them, meaning Christian Europe. What would you say are the biggest misconceptions regarding Viking history and culture?"

Eric looked pleased by my question and his eyes never left mine as he answered.

"It is indeed true that the current view of Vikings was constructed mainly from the descriptions of strangers, travelers in our lands on the one hand and the Christian priests in the lands that we raided on the other. Vikings were fierce warriors but we were not barbarians. We pillaged but we did not murder the weak and innocent. Rape was definitely not an acceptable behavior, on the contrary, since part of the raid's success depended on the ransom paid for women, and a woman carrying a bastard child was not as valuable to her husband or family, it was certainly not encouraged or sanctioned. Rape existed, of course, since sadly all human societies have their share of bad people but it was a manifestation of some men's cruel nature and not a wide spread phenomenon. I personally have never taken a woman without her consent nor would I wish to ever do so."

I could not help but think that he probably never encountered an unwilling woman either and the thought made me feel slightly jealous.

A guy sitting all the way in the back of the classroom, whom I could tell was quite nervous even without reading the fear in his mind, raised his hand almost as if he was afraid Eric would bite it off.

"I mean no disrespect, but what about the slaves?" he asked in a slightly unstable voice.

"I am here in the interest of furthering understanding and knowledge; your questions are important and legitimate. I will hear them in the spirit of scientific exploration that they were meant and do my best to answer to the best of my experience and ability, no apologies are needed. To answer your question, slaves or thralls, as they were called in my language, were indeed part of the Viking way of life. They were not treated in an especially cruel manner but they were not free either and they did not have any legal rights. I will not try to excuse or defend this custom since that would be both foolish and wrong.

"At the time in question, slaves were common in many cultures around the world and the political climate that would someday facilitate notions such as "liberté, égalité, fraternité" or "all men are created equal" could not have been imagined or understood. Viking society did not view slavery as an immoral practice as it is viewed today and you as historians should try and examine it from a medieval point of view rather than a modern one."

I appreciated the fact that Eric was really trying to promote a truthful account of Viking culture and not a censored, cookie cutter version of it. The more I listened to him talk the more I was impressed with his intellect and the more aroused I became. I knew he could sense it but I couldn't help myself. I appreciated a good looking man as much as anyone but in many cases, just as is the case with women, the beautiful package turned out to be empty under close inspection. For me a brilliant intellect is extremely sexy and I could already tell Eric was no less smart than he was beautiful. Another girl raised her hand and Eric motioned for her to proceed.

"What is the invention, change or advancement in technology that you most appreciate?

"Indoor plumbing of course!" Eric's eyes lit up in amusement and an appreciative laughter erupted in class. Eric waited for it to subside before he continued.

"There were of course many other inventions that changed my existence profoundly, and perhaps you were expecting me to talk about the invention of synthetic blood, but this is by far my favorite. I understand that for you, having running water in your homes is as obvious as having a roof over your head, but just try to imagine your life without it.

"Another common misconception of Vikings is that they were dirty and rough looking. Actually Vikings were quite meticulous when it came to their personal hygiene. Perhaps they would not have been considered extremely clean and groomed by today's western world standards but in comparison to Christian Europeans at the time they were infinitely cleaner. Vikings did not have similar conceptions regarding nudity as the Christian world and they never believed that washing will lead to disease and inevitable death. Vikings took great care to wash, comb their hair and beard, if they had one, and change their undergarments frequently.

"Another reason I appreciated this particular invention has to do with the immense improvement it had on overall human hygiene and urban environments. Your modern senses would be appalled at the way large human settlements used to smell and for a Vampire's keen senses the problem was much more acute. Now, if there are no other questions I think that will be all for tonight. I hope you enjoy your weekend and we will meet again on Monday at 17:45."

I lingered behind as everybody left the classroom while Eric collected his laptop. As soon as we were alone Eric closed the gap between us, wrapping me in his strong arms. He lowered his lips to mine slowly, his eyes never leaving mine as if asking my permission, leaving me the option to object if I so wished. It was sweet and sexy as hell and when our lips met I wasn't sure if it was me or him that moved. He kissed me softly at first, brushing his soft lips against mine and then, when I parted my lips to allow him entrance, the kiss became more intense and his mouth became more demanding as I felt the simmer in my lower abdomen suddenly erupting into flame. When he finally pulled back a moment later I felt light headed and not quite steady on my own two feet.

"I have wanted to do that since the moment I arrived tonight. I hope you found time to rest today and that you are not too tired?"

He was not only an amazing kisser he also had a way with words and I felt my heart skip a beat.

"I actually had a rather long nap before coming here tonight. Your gift was a lovely incentive. Thank you, it's beautiful even if it is a little presumptuous."

"Presumptuous? How so?" he raised an eyebrow and his smile let me know he knew exactly how presumptuous his gift was but I decided to play along.

"You assume much by sending me such a personal gift when we barely know each other, wouldn't you say?"

"I'm willing to admit to being confident about the chances of us becoming much more **familiar** with each other, but it is simply due to the intense attraction existing between us which I hope you will not deny. I honestly did not mean to make you uncomfortable with my gift. I was merely expressing my appreciation of your beauty and allure and my only defense if I offended you would be that I have not "dated", I believe that is the correct term now, in a very, very long time so I might not be completely up to date when it comes to acceptable Etiquette."

I was relieved to discover it was not only me that felt the attraction between us was unusual and very curious about his claim to be unfamiliar with dating. What did he mean by that? Surely someone this gorgeous would not be alone for long. Did he recently come out of a relationship? Or maybe he didn't need to date since women were throwing themselves at him wherever he went? So why bother now? I definitely needed to get some answers but I didn't feel now was the right time. I actually found the gift rather romantic so I decided to let Eric off the hook.

"Oh, I wasn't offended by your gift. It's beautiful and I really liked it. I also accept that given the intense attraction we seem to have between us, assuming that we will become more familiar with each other, as you so aptly put it, is not so presumptuous. It might be quite forward but that is not necessarily bad."

"I am glad you enjoyed it, I was not quite sure what gift would be appropriate for a Princess of the Fae."

I was silent for a moment as I was not expecting that one, although perhaps I should have been. My Fairy heritage and title were not something I tended to advertise. I assume that Eric could hear the surprise and slight defiance in my voice when I answered.

"You appear to have me at a disadvantage, as you seem to know much more about me than I do about you."

"You should not be surprised that I know who you are Sookie. I did not survive this long by going into situations unprepared or unaware. I received the list of students participating in the seminar in advance and ran a few background checks. I have had some dealings with your great grandfather in the past so I recognized your name immediately. I did not however know who you were until you introduced yourself after our accidental meeting. I am more than willing to rectify the disparity in our knowledge regarding each other but this is perhaps not the perfect setting for that purpose. I would like to take you somewhere special tonight where I would gladly tell you more about myself if you so wish."

I could hear the honesty in his voice and I relaxed, grinning at the unexplained joy I felt bubbling inside me.

"I would like that very much." Eric grinned back apparently satisfied with my reaction. I looked at my phone and said "It's 19:15 now, so I think I can be ready by 20:30, is that OK?"

"Of course, I thought I could fly you home and return to collect you when you have had sufficient time to prepare."

"That's very sweet of you but quite unnecessary. In the interest of time I think it would be better if I take myself home and you can come pick me up later."

"I will be at your house at 20:30 but how are you planning to get home?"

I felt happy and playful and I suspected Eric could handle a bit of mischief so I gathered up my things and took out the note with the code to the front gate that I planned on giving him.

"The fairy way, of course." I said with a slightly wicked smile and popped away.


	5. Chapter 5

I wish to thank each and every one of you who added me to you alerts and favorites. I try to answer every review so let me know if you liked it…

I apologize for taking so long, it is my intention to update at least once a week but I had a slightly crazy week in RL hence the delay.

I had to split the date in two or it would have been way too long so here is the first half for you. I promise I will be quick and post the other one soon.

Thanks to my lovely Beta **Northwoman**, you are amazing. I obviously had to meddle with it after you were done so any remaining mistakes are mine and mine alone. Special thanks to **MaLaDe** for being so supportive and letting me bounce ideas off you and to **My Secret O** for all the encouragement.

Charlaine Harris is the sole owner of these characters and the SVM; I'm just letting out some creative steam.

*I mistakenly refered to Sookie as Miss Stackhouse instead of Miss Brigant. Thanks to everyone that pointed it out for me...I have also received help with translation from the wonderful albi3252 - Thank you! - so I'm reposting this with the updated translations and the correct names.

* * *

**Unexpected – Chapter 5**

A small note drifted to the ground and I caught it before it hit the floor. I smiled at the content and then made my way out of the building at vampire speed taking to the sky as soon as I passed the building's doors. I have encountered a few humans with Fae heritage in the past but never from the royal bloodline, and I was surprised to see that Sookie could teleport though she was only a quarter Fae. As I flew back to my apartment I could not help but smile. The little Fairy princess was not only the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, but she was also bright, playful and strong willed.

I was being honest when I told her I would gladly tell her more about myself and that surprised me. I have never cared what humans thought of me and while being respected by other vampires was necessary for my survival I usually could not care less what they thought of me personally. And yet I found myself willing to share what I considered to be my private persona with this amazing, beautiful woman whom I have just met and actually caring what her opinion of me might be.

As I arrived at my apartment I found a young human male carrying a large white box waiting at the Concierge's. He approached me slowly and silently handed me a note. In Etienne's familiar handwriting:

"Eric,

I thought you might enjoy these better than the vile synthetic version.

Etienne."

In the box were several bottles of the Artisanal blood I had enjoyed last night and I thanked the human before picking up the box and heading up to my apartment.

After laying down the box in the kitchen I took my phone out of my pocket and dialed Etienne's number. He answered almost immediately in his usual graceful manner.

"Eric, my friend, I hope you are having a pleasant evening thus far?"

"I am Etienne, especially after receiving your gift. Thank you my friend, you are gracious as always."

"Oh, think nothing of it, I appreciate you too much to let you consume that synthetic abomination if it can be helped. As always, there is some business I must attend to; a sheriff's work is never done…"

"Very well, I will see you next Friday."

I left the phone on the kitchen counter and headed for the master bathroom. I showered and dressed in a form fitting dark suit with a pale blue shirt underneath. I went back to the kitchen and checked my e-mails while I prepared and drank one of Etienne's bloods. I did not consider Sookie to be a meal, no matter how much I wished to taste her, and I was not presumptuous enough to assume that I would get my wish tonight.

On my way out I made one last call to make sure everything was set for later before I got in my car. When I was in Europe I usually drove a black Porsche. I chose the Porsche over the more conspicuous Ferrari for its understated, subtle design and the undeniable power concealed under it.

It was just after 20:30 when I reached the large gate barring the entrance to Sookie's place of residence. I punched in the code from the note Sookie left behind and made my way to the other side of the building where her apartment was located. I knocked on her door and heard her heart skip a beat.

Sookie opened the door and I am sure my heart would have done the same if it still beat. In a cherry red dress that hugged her curves to perfection she looked incredibly sexy and innocently sweet at the same time. Her hair was flowing down her back in large, loose waves and her legs looked incredible in a pair of sinfully high heels that I was sure Pam would have appreciated.

"Sookie, you are gorgeous."

She smiled at my words and moved slightly back to allow me to enter.

"You look very handsome as well Eric, won't you please come in?"

I walked in and kissed her softly before taking in the interesting layout of the apartment. The ceiling was very high and it was all one space, separated by furniture into sleeping and living areas. In the middle of the apartment there was large yellow cube shaped room I assumed was the bathroom. It was strange but attractive in a way and I could see that Sookie had furnished and decorated the apartment in an eclectic style that was a combination between old and new, just like the convent itself.

"Your apartment is interesting and very tastefully decorated, did you decorate it yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you? It's very impressive."

"Thank you, I did it myself. It took me a while to get used to the layout but It grew on me, I actually rather like it now. Let me just grab my things and we can go."

I helped her with her coat, which was white and very soft, accentuating her feminine figure. She then wrapped a red silk scarf around her neck, picked up her purse from the table and smiled at me.

"I presume we're not flying tonight? Not that I didn't enjoy it, it was amazing but I don't think I'm dressed appropriately." I smiled back as she locked her door and we started walking towards the gate.

"Do not worry; we will be driving to our destination. It should take us a little over an hour to get there." We reached the car and I opened the passenger door and helped Sookie climb in before taking my place at the driver's seat and fastening Sookie's safety belt securely around her.

"Will you tell me where we are going? I'm really curious."

"Then I will gladly tell you, did you know that Leonardo de Vinci spent the last 3 years of his life in France?"

"Yes, I know he was in the service of the French king and that he brought the Mona Lisa with him when he came here and that is how she ended up with the French and not the Italians."

"Exactly. Leonardo's residence for that short period of time was situated very close to the royal residence in Amboise. It is now known as Le Clos Lucé and that is where we are headed."

Sookie's eyes lit up in excitement and she leaned closer to me laying her hand softly on mine.

"I've heard about the Leonardo de Vinci museum in the Loire Valley and was actually planning to go sometime before I leave France but I didn't realize they were open at night."

She started pulling her hand back, apparently uncomfortable at her own excited response but I gently pulled it back, brought it to my lips and kissed her fingertips before laying it back between us this time with my hand covering hers and my fingers drawing slow circles on her warm, soft skin.

"They are not, but I was able to arrange for a private tour. We can dine before or after the tour, I was not sure which would you prefer. "

"That sounds amazing. I can't believe you went to all this trouble…I'm not really hungry yet so if the tour is not very long I think I would rather eat after we finish."

"Very well, I am very pleased you approve of my plan. I was not quite certain as to what activities are considered appropriate for a first date but I hoped, as a historian, you would enjoy this."

"Well, I think it varies according to age and location but watching a movie is considered an acceptable choice for a first date, dinner in a restaurant and dancing are also quite common. I like your idea much better though."

We sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes; Sookie was looking out her window as I drove us out of the city and away from its lights.

"Sookie, would you like to play a game?"

We were still rather far from our destination and what I had in mind will keep us occupied and hopefully entertained for at least part of the way.

"A game? What kind of game?"

"You said earlier that you felt I have you at a disadvantage since I know more about you than you do about me. If you wish, we can play a game to try and rectify that situation. I suggest a game of questions. I will answer any question you might have, honestly if at all possible, if you ask something I am not at liberty to answer I will tell you so. For every question you ask I am allowed to ask a question of my own, which you should try to answer, truthfully of course. You are allowed a head start of…I think 3 questions will suffice, to compensate for my prior knowledge of you." I already knew from our earlier banter that she had a playful side, not unlike me, so I was not surprised she seemed pleased at my suggestion.

"I agree. Let's play!" Her excitement was both adorable and sexy and I smiled, encouraging her to begin.

"How well do you know Niall?"

"I have known Niall for a very long time, a little over 600 years to be exact. We met in the last Vampire-Fae war when we fought together against the factions from both sides that were determined to destroy both of our races. Niall played a very large part in bringing about the end of the war, and the signing of the peace treaty and I consider him to be a wise and respectable man. I also consider him to be very powerful and dangerous but that would be an accurate description of me as well so it is not a negative judgment on my part. We have not seen each other in 4 centuries but I can promise you I do not bear him or you, as his progeny, any ill will nor does my interest in you involve Niall in any way."

"OK, what did your background check tell you about me? I wouldn't want to bore you by telling you things you already know."

"I doubt very much I could be bored by anything you choose to tell me but that is beside the point. I know you are Princess Sookie Brigant, Niall Brigant's great-granddaughter by his son Fintan. Your grandmother's name is Adele and she is half Fae like your grandfather. Your parents are Corbett and Michelle Brigant and you have an older brother named Jason. You will be 23 years old on March 7th this year. You have a degree in Folklore and Mythology from Harvard University and you grew up and lived most of your life in Boston.

"Since I met you I have discovered that you are also smart, playful, and quite possibly the sexiest, most beautiful woman I have ever had the pleasure of meeting." Sookie blushed at my statement and lowered her gaze but after a few seconds she seemed to recover and looked up at me from under her long dark lashes.

"Thank you, you know a lot about my family. Would you mind telling me a little about yours?"

"Vampires don't have family in the same way you do but I do consider my maker, Godric, and my child, Pam, to be my family. As for my human descendants, I left my home after I became vampire and was unsuccessful at discovering any of them when I returned about a century later. That does not mean they do not exist of course but even if they do I feel they could hardly be considered family being 40 generations removed from me."

"You're probably right; if you go back 40 generations you can find a family connection to almost anybody…"

"Indeed. I was surprised to see that you can teleport like a full blooded Fae, in my experience the part Fae are not usually that strong. Is this a family trait, related to Niall's blood or are you even more exceptional then I already assumed?"

"I'm not sure how to answer your question regarding Niall's blood. He is very strong and the royal blood line is known for its strength but I can't really say this is a family trait. My grandparents have quite a lot of magic but they are both half fae and my grandmother is, of course, not of Niall's line. My father, though half fae as well, doesn't seem to have any fairy powers apart from being exceptionally charming and charismatic. He and my mother, Michelle, a full blooded human, were therefore quite surprised when my grandparents announced, not long after I was born, that I seemed to posses the fae "essential spark" and would require special training when my powers, whatever they might be, manifest themselves in the future.

"My brother Jason, who is 3 years older than me, is just as charming as my father and seems to be irresistible to the opposite sex but other than that he is a completely normal human. My full Fae abilities will not manifest themselves until I turn 25 so there is no way of knowing what other powers, if any, I posses besides teleporting which I'm sure you know is a general Fae ability." She turned her head to look out the window before asking her question in a slightly embarrassed tone.

"What did you mean when you said you hadn't dated in a very long time? I can't imagine someone as gorgeous and sexy as you being alone for very long. Were you married?"

I wasn't certain how much Sookie knew about vampire's social customs and feeding habits and I really did not know what her reaction to my answer might be.

"Sookie, I will answer your question but in order to do that I need to ask you a question first. How much do you know about vampires?"

She seemed surprised by my question but she answered almost without hesitating.

"I know vampires are immortal, that you are very strong and fast and that you grow stronger and faster the older you become. You cannot survive in the sunlight. You are vulnerable to silver almost as fairies are to lemon. I know you survive by consuming human blood and you are extremely hard to destroy. Oh, I also know that in order to enter a human's home a vampire needs to be invited.

"I know Fairy blood is intoxicating to vampires and that the scent of Fae makes you lose control. I know this must sound a little like 'The Ultimate guide to surviving a vampire attack' but I'm afraid most of my knowledge about vampires comes from my elders and that I have only met very few vampires until now. I hope I did not offend you."

"Not at all, everything you said was quite accurate and I cannot fault your elders for warning you against potential danger as it is true vampires can be very dangerous to Fairies. My description of the Fae would have probably contained very similar characteristics. But there are a few important things missing from your description. Vampires do not usually maintain long term relationships with other vampires since it gives us too much power over each other.

"You already know that vampires feed on human blood but you might not know that for a vampire feeding is very closely associated with sex. A vampire's bite can be extremely pleasurable if the vampire so wishes and ever since the great revelations there are humans who wish to be bitten by a vampire because of the sexual pleasure it entails.

"Vampires in general, not unlike other supernaturals and perhaps even more so, feel themselves very superior to humans and therefore are highly unlikely to maintain a relationship with one. There is also the issue of the short human life span in comparison to the vampire's eternity. Some vampires keep human pets to feed on and as sexual partners but I have never done so. Since I do not have pets, I feed on willing humans. I am not interested in having a relationship with them so I do not date. I make my intentions clear to whomever I feed on and fuck and they have no reason to expect anything more, or less, than the pleasure we both receive from our encounter. I hope that you are not offended by my answer and my honesty but I do not wish to lie to you." I could not interpret the expression on her face as she seemed to process everything I have told her while I waited for her response.

"I am not sure how to respond. I appreciate your honesty and I'm not offended by your answer but I am confused. If you don't date then why did you ask me out? I am sure you could have had any girl, and several of the guys, in the seminar or you could probably just stop in the middle of the street and women will fall at your feet, so why go to all this trouble? What's so different about me besides my being Niall's great-granddaughter which you have already stated was not the reason for your interest in me."

"Everything about you is different Sookie, I meant every word I said to you before and more, my usual behavior should only serve to affirm this as I do not need to use flattery to find sexual partners. You are the most beautiful, enchanting woman I have met in over a thousand years and I wish to spend time with you, to get to know you. I will not deny that I want to see your magnificent body naked, to touch your bare skin with my own, to look in your eyes as you come as I give you pleasure.

"But that is not all I want. This is a new and unusual experience for me; I am usually very reserved and guarded, yet I find myself wanting to be open and honest with you even though I hardly know you and even when that honesty doesn't necessarily serve me well. There is something happening between us that I do not fully fathom but I am drawn to you with a force I have never experienced before and find myself not wishing to resist."

She was looking straight at me, the most amazing blend of lust and innocence reflecting in her dark blue eyes and I had to forcefully suppress the urge to pull the car over and take her right there and then, something I did not suppose she would appreciate, at least not at that moment.

"I have never met anyone like you either Eric. I have never felt this kind of attraction for anyone; last night when we kissed I felt a small electrical shock when our lips touched for the first time. I am wary of what might happen between us since I foresee that it will change me forever but I also feel I cannot, will not, resist it." She paused for a few seconds before she spoke again, the tone of her voice changing from serious and sincere to playful and amused.

"Having said that, I can't in good conscience, as your main source of information regarding modern dating etiquette, let you think that what you said to me before is considered acceptable conversation for a first date. It is entirely inappropriate, although I can see how it might affect your usual feed and fucks."

"Angelic Sookie, vision of love and beauty, I am prostrate that my allusion to your smooth and voluptuous body violated your sense of propriety. Can you find it in your heart to forgive my indiscretion?" I flashed my signature smirk at her.

"How can I refuse such an eloquent apology?" Her pulse quickened and she clearly enjoyed our banter just as much as I had judging by the warmth of her delighted smile.

"Sookie, why is it that you are unattached? I am sure it is not for lack of admirers. Has Niall arranged a marriage for you when you turn a certain age?" I asked her gently, strangely wishing that she was not already spoken for.

"No Eric, Niall promised me he will not try to arrange a political marriage for me and that he will not interfere in my choice when the time comes. I am unattached as you so gracefully put it since so far I had not had much luck when it comes to love. I find it difficult dating human men…" She paused for a second before she continued and I could sense there was more to her last statement than simply being part Fae getting in the way, but I trusted she would tell me about it, whatever it was, if and when she chose to. "And the few relationships I'venships I've had did not work out. I'm afraid I am quite inexperienced compared to you…" I could feel the heat rising in her face at that last admission.

"You are only a fraction of my age and being discerning is hardly a fault. I cannot complain of that which allows me to be here with you tonight." I lightly touched the soft skin of her neck gently directing her gaze at the window. "If you would look to your right you can already see the lights of Le Clos Lucé. We will be there shortly."

We entered the grounds and very soon came to a stop in front of the chateau. I was out of the car and at her side before Sookie could open her door. I helped her out of the low seat and thoroughly enjoyed the view of her legs I received in the process. I felt her shiver slightly at the cold night air so I helped her back into her coat, which she removed during the drive, and we proceeded towards the mansion's entrance, my hand gently resting at the small of her back.

"Eric, this is so beautiful! I can't believe they are keeping it open and lit like this just for us."

"They sometimes have private events and functions after hours so this is not unheard of. The Vampire sheriff of Paris is an old friend of mine and he used his connections to arrange this." Etienne was intrigued last night when I asked for his assistance since I was not in the habit of making this kind of effort for a woman - human, vampire or otherwise - but he was more than happy to help.

Just as we reached the door it opened and a slender elegant woman greeted us with a smile. She appeared to be in her late 50's and was impeccably dressed in a black skirt suit.

"Bonsoir, monsieur Northman et Mlle Brigant. Je suis Camille Bouvier, et je vais être votre guide ce soir. Si vous voulez bien me suivre..." she turned around, and we followed her inside.

"Since you are American Miss Brigant, I thought we might proceed in English if that will be convenient for you both?" We both nodded our agreement and she continued.

"Miss Brigant, The restrooms are at the end of this corridor if you wish to freshen up before we begin." She gestured at a corridor to the right and smiled at Sookie who thanked her and returned her smile before moving in the direction where she pointed.

"Mr. Northman, while we wait for Miss Brigant to return, could you please let me know what have you decided regarding dinner so it can be ready for you?"

"Of course, Miss Brigant prefers to dine after the tour, as long as it is not too long."

"It is not very long, about an hour I believe. With your permission I will go and let the Chef know and I will return shortly."

"Thank you." She nodded at me and left in the opposite direction of where Sookie had disappeared but I was not left alone for long as Sookie returned shortly after, looking radiant in her enticing red dress, having taken off her coat again now that we were inside. She looked young and happy and I could not help but respond to her bright smile, oddly taking pleasure in her happiness. She stopped only inches away from me and leaned in to kiss me very lightly, barely touching her lips to mine.

Even that light touch made my cock, already alert after spending the last hour so close to Sookie's delectable body in the small space of the car filled with her scent, painfully hard. Our bodies were close enough for her to feel the effect she had on me quite clearly and she gasped but did not pull away. I put my arm around her bringing her even closer to me and kissed her passionately leaving her starry eyed and breathless when I released her lips from mine and took a step to stand to her side, gently taking her hand in mine just as Madame Bouvier appeared around the corner.

"Would you like to leave your coat here Miss Brigant? We will return here later, before your dinner."

"Yes, thank you. That would be great." Sookie smiled at the older woman and handed her the coat which she promptly hung on a coat hanger close to the door.

"Very well, Mr. Northman, when we spoke on the phone you mentioned that this is not your first visit so I assume the tour is more for Miss Brigant's benefit?"

"Yes and no. I have been here before but not recently. I am quite impressed by the restoration work. It looks similar to the way it did the last time I was here, in 1519."

Madame Bouvier was speechless for a moment before she regained her composure and Sookie seemed very interested in my statement as well.

"c'est incroyable! avez-vous connu Leonardo?" Madame Bouvier seemed to revert to her native tongue in her excitement. I felt Sookie hold her breath in anticipation for my answer.

"Yes, He was an extraordinary man. Very forward thinking and open minded even by today's standards and I appreciated his intellect greatly. We met in Florence around the year 1500 under rather interesting circumstances and maintained a connection over the last two decades of his life."

"Would you be willing to describe your personal acquaintance with Leonardo? This could be such a boost of "new blood" to all of us involved in researching his history."

"I will gladly share my personal experience. Please use the contact details I have already supplied to notify me when you have a general idea of how you wish to proceed and we can further discuss the details."

The woman seemed to compose herself and return to her professional demeanor as she thanked me profusely and started to lead us through the manor.

The tour was quite entertaining. Sookie asked many questions which both Madame Bouvier and myself answered to the best of our abilities. It was obviously not as I remembered but the spirit of the place was familiar. As far as this kind of recreation could be, it was quite successful and Sookie apparently thought so as well as she seemed to be enjoying herself. After about 40 minutes we stopped by the entrance to get Sookie's coat and went to visit the pigeon-house and took a quick tour of the garden. The temperature was quite cold, even though it was not raining so it was really not an option to visit the rest of the Château's grounds.

"You seem cold; I think it will be better if we drive the short distance to the manor where we are supposed to dine, if that is acceptable to you of course."

We were standing in the middle of the path leading back to the main building and I pulled Sookie closer to me sheltering her slightly from the cold.

"That sounds wonderful. All this walking has made me hungry."

I turned to face our guide who had been knowledgeable and attentive.

"Thank you Madam Bouvier, This has been quite entertaining. I expect to hear from you soon." I nodded at her and she nodded back enthusiastically.

"Thank you Camille! It was wonderful." Sookie smiled brightly eliciting a similar response in the other woman.

"You are welcome Sookie, it really was my pleasure. I rarely guide people myself anymore and when I do they are not quite as bright and pleasant as you. I hope you will enjoy your dinner."

"Thank you." Both Sookie and I responded simultaneously and then looked at each other smiling. I scooped her up in my arms and made my way to the car at vampire speed. Sookie laughed joyfully as I deposited her gently in the passenger seat and she leaned over to kiss me softly on the cheek.

"That was very chivalrous of you." Her tone was light and playful and I felt lighter than I have in centuries.

"I assure you it was not, I enjoyed the sensation of holding you against me very much…"I smirked at her and she raised a perfectly arched eyebrow in response.

"Is that so? And here I thought you were trying to spare me some walking in the cold."

"I was. I just took pleasure in the feel of your body as well, what can I say? I am an opportunist if nothing else."

She laughed appreciatively at my response.

"So, are you having some kind of dinner as well? Or are you just going to watch me?" She seemed slightly uncomfortable with that thought so I quickly reassured her.

"This restaurant specializes in theatrical catering. It is supposed to allow you to experience medieval cuisine and since the chef is a vampire I am certain I will be provided for. I will still enjoy watching you though. You are truly beautiful."

"You are quite easy on the eyes yourself. Thank you for the tour, it was fascinating."

"I am glad you enjoyed it. I enjoyed it as well; your enthusiasm for history is inspiring."

"Yes, I know I'm a history geek. Studying history is perhaps not the most obvious choice for a supe but I love it none the less. It allows me to gain a different perspective on places and events I have heard about my whole life while broadening my mind. It's not so hard to imagine how growing up with my centuries old grandparents, not to mention a host of ancient Fairy relatives, could make me want to know more about the past."

"So do you consider me ancient as well? I am probably older than most of your relatives."

"You are, but I can't see you that way. You're so different, so alive. And yes, I am aware of the irony in what I just said but I still stand by it."

I could not help but smile at her assessment of me. I have often been described as lively but I rarely felt so "alive" as I did in the short time since I met Sookie. She seemed to awaken something inside me that had been dormant for centuries. I felt happy when I was with her and that was not something I was used to feeling.

We had just reached the end of the grounds and the reconstructed manor that housed the restaurant. Sookie barely registered that we stopped before I was at her door. When she was out of the car she looked up at me and I lifted her in my arms taking off into the air high above the Chateau.

"I thought we were having dinner?" she raised her left eyebrow again, the corners of her mouth twitching in amusement.

"We are. I just thought you might enjoy a look from above over the grounds and the surrounding area."

She turned her head away from my body and looked down at the ground.

"It's so beautiful."She whispered.

"Yes it is." I said without taking my eyes off her face before slowly lowering us to the ground.

* * *

A/N:

I apologize to those of you who speak French. I hope my terrible translation doesn't offend you too much...

"Bonsoir, monsieur Northman et Mlle Brigant. Je suis Camille Bouvier, et je vais être votre guide ce soir. Si vous voulez bien me suivre..." - "Good evening, Mr. Northman and Miss Brigant. I'm Camille Bouvier, and I will be your guide this evening. If you will please follow me…"

"c'est incroyable! avez-vous connu Leonardo?" - "That's incredible! did you know Leonardo?"

For those of you who are interested here is the link to the museum - http:/www(dot)vinci-closluce(dot)com/ (To those of you who might be new to FF, I forgot to mention in previous chapters that you need to replace the (dot) with real dots.)

I would like to invite any of my French speaking and Swedish speaking readers to PM me if you are interested in helping out with translating. I promise this is nothing extensive just a few sentences per chapter if any. Translating is something I really get stuck with and it is definitely slowing my update rate so…

*Thank you albi3252 for taking the time to correct my French...:)


	6. Chapter 6

To all of you who have been patiently waiting for this story to earn its M rating, this one is for you…

I am so grateful for all of the alerts, favorites and reviews – you are all very generous, Thank you!

Thanks to my amazing Beta **Northwoman** for being the quickest Beta ever.

I would also like to thank my lovely new content editor **My Secret O** for being so awesome and beautiful (in a straight, married, not wanting to jump your bones kind of way…).

Merci bien to **albi3252** who was kind enough to agree to help with French translations. I have corrected all French conversations and re-posted chapters 1 and 5. (I'm sorry for the false alerts…)

I mistakenly referred to Sookie as Miss Stackhouse in the last chapter. Thanks to those of you who pointed out my mistake, I've corrected it to Miss Brigant.

Charlaine Harris is the sole owner of the SVM; I'm just letting out some creative steam.

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**Unexpected – Chapter 6**

As Eric gently lowered us to the ground, I felt myself tearing up. I was slightly overwhelmed with how much I was enjoying myself this evening. Eric might not be a southern gentleman but he definitely knew how to make a girl feel special and besides, southern gentlemen are highly overrated in my opinion, perfectly manicured manners are nice but not necessarily very sexy.

Eric led me to the door of the medieval manor where we were greeted by a Vampire and two humans all dressed in traditional medieval costumes.

"Bonsoir Messieurs Dames, bienvenue. C'est avec plaisir que nous vous accueillons ce soir. Je suis Gaston Jamard et je suis le propriétaire et le chef de cet établissement. Voici Didier, mon sous-chef et Nathalie, qui sera votre serveuse ce soir."

We were led to a private room beautifully furnished with dark wooden pieces. There was a table set for two in the middle of the room and two large and very comfortable looking chairs set in front of a large fireplace. With the exception of the area surrounding the table, the room was sparsely lit and most of the ambient light was provided by the fire.

After we were seated Gaston continued, "Pour vous Mademoiselle Brigant, le menu de ce soir sera un menu degustation mélangeant la cuisine riche typique des 16ième et 17ième siècles et les avancées techniques et technologiques de ces trois derniers siècles, et pour vous Monsieur Northman nous avons une sélection de spécialités unique issues de la cuisine moderne, chaque plat étant bien sur accompagné de boissons appropriées. Installez-vous confortablement, le premier plat vous sera servi sous peu."

"How does a Vampire become a chef?" I asked Eric after we were left alone in the room.

"I understand he was a chef in his human life and had decided to return to his old profession after the great revelation, opening this restaurant that serves food from that time and caters to both humans and vampires."

Nathalie reappeared at the door carrying a tray of drinks and my first course that smelled absolutely divine. She arranged everything on the table, explaining what each of the plates and glasses contained and left the room closing the door behind her.

The food was delicious, perfectly prepared and beautifully presented and I thanked Eric again for bringing me here tonight. He smiled and looked genuinely pleased and I smiled back appreciating how incredibly handsome he was. He tried to describe to me the possible difference in taste between various bloods while I tried to convey in words the tastes and sensations of my dishes, some of which contained food that Eric had never tasted when he was human since it was not yet available.

There was a light knock at the door and Nathalie returned accompanied by Gaston, each carrying a large tray full of various plates and glasses. Gaston walked us through the different dishes while Nathalie set everything on the table and they both left, again closing the door behind them.

"Why did you decide to come to Paris, Sookie?" Eric asked after we both had time to sample and appreciate Gaston's artfully displayed dishes. I put down my fork and dabbed at the corner of my mouth with my napkin before laying it back on the table.

"Well, after I had received my B.A. I felt I was more than ready to spread my wings and Paris was really my only choice. I always had an affinity for languages and the French I took as a second language at University improved my mastery of the French that I learned from Fintan. I was drawn to the history and romantic charm of the city that I read so much about but never visited."

"Paris is, or at least it once was, an excellent place for a vampire. I brought Pam here as a new vampire in the late seventeenth century and we spent most of the next century travelling around Europe with Paris as our base."

"That must have been amazing. I can't begin to imagine the things you must've seen and done. Where in Paris did you live?"

"I bought an apartment at Place de Vosges, which I still use when I come to Paris. It has been renovated a few times obviously but some of the original features and furniture are still there."

"Seriously? You have an apartment at the Place de Vosges? With original seventeenth century features? Really?"

Eric looked amused by my excited reaction but I couldn't help myself. Place de Vosges was one of my favorites and I often went there when the weather was nice to have my favorite ice-cream from the tiny Italian ice-cream shop a few blocks away. One of my favorite pastimes while sitting in the cool shade under the trees was to imagine how the Place looked in the past and who the residents of the time might have been. I couldn't believe Eric was one of these people.

"I will gladly show you my apartment Sookie; will tomorrow be soon enough for you?" He had that sexy smirk on his face but his eyes told me the invitation was sincere.

"Are you asking me on another date? Because if you are I should probably mention as your conscientious guide on modern dating that normally the second date shouldn't take place so soon after the first one... but for some reason I am willing to ignore the rules of engagement and will gladly accept your invitation, and not only because I really, really want to see your apartment…"I smiled at him and he smiled back taking my upturned hand in his and laying a slow, soft kiss at my pulse point.

"I really, really want to see you _in_ my apartment…" His voice deepened as he looked into my eyes, still caressing my hand with his fingers. My pulse was racing which I'm sure he noticed and I felt like I could lose myself in his startlingly blue eyes. I wasn't sure if I should be relieved or upset when I sensed Nathalie approaching the door followed by a light knock a few seconds later. I started pulling my hand back before the actual knock and Eric looked at me with an intense concentration as if trying to solve a difficult puzzle. I was relieved when he finally released me from his gaze and focused on the waitress' description of the last course instead. I knew he sensed something about me was different and I appreciated the fact that he didn't try to press the issue.

"Eric, are there many vampires your age?"

"No, not many, vampires can be very cruel and dangerous. Especially when politics are involved, and most vampires do not survive as long as I have. Why do you ask?" He sounded cautious and curious at the same time.

"I remember Niall telling me once about the structure of Vampire politics. He said that the older vampires usually hold political power. You said before you were friends with the vampire sheriff of Paris. A sheriff is in charge of a certain part of a kingdom and answers to the king or queen of that kingdom, right?"

"Indeed, he is and Niall was of course right when he said that political power usually accompanies age in our society."

"Do you have a political position then?" I knew how demanding that kind of position was, being Niall's great- grand-daughter, and I strangely wished Eric didn't have such responsibilities.

"I do not. You are right at assuming that I could be a sheriff or probably a King if I so wished but I do not have any political aspirations. I find that I prefer to be free to come and go as I please and that my age and reputation allow me sufficient respect from others without the trouble and duties that a position of power entails. If I was involved in vampire politics I would not be at liberty to travel the world as I do, and would have subsequently missed the chance to meet you which, as I hope you agree, would have been a real tragedy."

"With that I cannot argue, as I'm really happy we met."

"As am I." I concentrated on dessert for a few moments until I became aware of Eric staring at me, apparently fascinated by my eating and not touching his 'Sorbet'.

"Eric, you're making me uncomfortable, is there something wrong with the way I eat?"

"Not at all, I apologize for staring but you do not seem to be aware of the way your beautiful mouth moves and the delicious sounds you make when you are enjoying your food, they are simply fascinating." He had a predatory look in his eyes which I found incredibly hot and I felt a delicious shiver run through me in response to his words. I took one last bite from the divine Crème brûlée, stood up and walked closer to the fireplace soaking in the heat of the flames.

Eric joined me, wrapping his arms around me from behind allowing me to feel his hard length pressed against my back. I turned to face him and stood on my tiptoes, finding it slightly difficult, even in my impossibly high heels, to reach his lips with mine. I kissed the corner of his mouth softly, paying homage to that magnificent smirk of his, before I kissed him deeply, I traced his fangs with my tongue. A low moan escaped his lips and he sat down on the large chair behind him, guiding me gently to straddle his lap. He traced my lips with his thumb, his eyes never leaving mine and I felt the tension between us as if it was a physical substance permeating the air. Eric was trailing open mouth kisses from my mouth, along my jaw bone and down to my neck and I instinctively arched my back pressing my body against his and we both moaned at the sensation.

My skin was flushed and the feeling of his long cool fingers brushing against the heat of my legs and thighs was amazing. He licked the sensitive spot behind my ear and I moaned into his neck scraping him lightly with my teeth. He groaned and kissed me again, pushing my dress up. He brushed his finger ever so lightly against my clit and I moaned into his mouth. Suddenly I was sitting on the chair and he was kneeling between my legs, his blond hair framing his face like a golden halo in the light of the fire.

"Sookie, your scent is intoxicating; I want to…need to taste you." He said in a low, demanding voice and I nodded, unable to resist.

He lifted my dress to my hips exposing my thigh highs and my white, lacy panties while trailing soft kisses from my knee to the inner crease of my thigh, brushing the outer side of my legs in a slow upward movement. I heard a quick tearing sound and felt a slight tug at my sides as my panties disappeared in his hand and I gasped at the sudden feeling of cool air on my exposed skin.

"Magnificent…" I had no time to feel embarrassed by his words as he quickly but gently flicked my clit with his tongue sending a shock of pleasure through me.

I felt Eric's talented tongue caress me, licking the soft skin first to the right of my folds and then to the left. He slowly licked his way up the center kissing my clit as he reached the top. I moaned and buried my fingers in his hair unable to control myself even though I was remotely aware of the possibility of being heard. He was using his tongue, lips and mouth so skillfully sending wonderful ripples of pleasure throughout my body, making me wild with need and anticipation. I was breathing heavily, my skin flushed and hot, moaning uncontrollably at the sensation of his tongue thrusting inside me.

"Eric…" I breathed softly as I felt the first waves of orgasm start to spread through me. My mental shields were completely down since I was totally lost in the pleasure Eric was giving me and I suddenly heard two human voices. I didn't immediately realize I was hearing Didier and Nathalie's thoughts as they were approaching the room. I gasped and jumped off the chair frantically trying to straighten my dress and flushing with embarrassment.

"Sookie, you are deliciously intriguing." He said calmly, already standing next to the fire looking perfectly composed. "How is it exactly that you are able to hear the approach of the staff a few seconds before me?" He raised his eyebrow questioningly a predatory smile playing on his lips.

The door opened and Gaston entered with Didier and Nathalie right behind him. Before they could utter a word Eric turned to Gaston.

"M. Jamard, nous vous souhaitons une bonne soirée. Le dîner était excellent et je vous remercie de nous avoir accueillis avec si peu de préavis".

"Merci Monsieur Northman. Cela a été un plaisir de vous servir, vous et Mademoiselle Brigant. Bonne nuit, et merci pour votre visite". He was obviously aware of what took place in this room just seconds ago, judging by the knowing smile he directed at Eric, adding to my embarrassment.

I wanted to thank Gaston and his staff for the lovely meal but I simply couldn't bring myself to speak just yet. Eric helped me with my coat and led me outside.

Once we were outside Eric led me in the direction of the car. I was expecting him to question me further about what happened before but he surprised me by lifting me in the air. I instinctively wrapped my legs around him while his hands travelled underneath me, supporting me. I kissed his neck, lightly scraping my teeth against his skin again and he groaned in response, tightening his grip on my ass and grinding his erection against my hypersensitive clit. I wanted more but I didn't wish to be interrupted again. I slid down his body and took his large hand in my much smaller one, signaling for him to follow me as I walked us a little further and around the manor into the darkness of the trees surrounding it.

"Eric, do you trust me?" I asked him when I felt we were far enough from the manor.

"You have placed your trust in me by agreeing to come here with me tonight and I will not deny you the same if you ask it of me."

I closed the small distance left between us, wrapping my arms around his neck and looking deep in his eyes.

"Then hold on tight." I said and 'popped' us to my apartment. I felt my magic engulf Eric as we were transported to my living room.

Eric's reaction took me by surprise. I was slightly worried he might be disturbed or alarmed by my popping us back like that but instead he looked aroused…and hungry.

He crashed his lips against mine demanding entrance with his tongue while he quickly took off my coat. I pushed his jacket off his shoulders and he dropped to his knees lifting my dress to my waist and licking my slit languidly, making me gasp in surprise.

"Mmm…so incredibly sweet." He said before doing it again, and again, gently separating my folds. I moaned, my knees buckling underneath me as Eric positioned me against the sofa's armrest.

"Spread your legs for me Sookie, let me taste you." His voice was pure sex and his words sent shivers through my body as I slowly allowed my legs to fall apart.

He licked my clit, slowly and deliberately, while gently teasing my entrance with his finger. I bucked against him and moaned loudly as he slid his long finger inside me. His eyes never left mine as he slowly increased his pace licking my clit faster and faster while at the same time thrusting his fingers inside me. Suddenly I felt him hit that sweet spot inside me, my head lolled back and my legs started shaking uncontrollably.

"Look at me Lover." He demanded and I watched him move his mouth lower to lick my inner thigh as he hit the same spot with his fingers once, twice and as he sank his fangs into me I called his name as my orgasm crashed through my body. After drawing just a mouthful of my blood, Eric gently withdrew his fangs, licking the tiny wounds before moving back up to lick between my folds.

"Amazing…" He said, licking his fingers and lips as he stood up in front of me.

Before I could fully recover he lifted me from my half-sitting position and made quick work of both our remaining articles of clothing taking a step back when he finished. It was a clear night and moonlight was filtering through the trees outside my huge windows making it possible for me to appreciate Eric in all his naked glory. My eyes slowly left his to travel down his painfully perfect body, from his broad shoulders to his defined chest and abs, strong and beautiful at the same time. My eyes followed the light trail of hair leading down from his naval and I gasped at the size of his erection. Eric was similarly occupied, taking in my body with his eyes. He smiled when he heard my gasp, obviously used to getting this kind of reaction from women.

"I have never seen nor tasted anything as perfect as you Sookie." His eyes were dark with desire and I could feel myself getting wetter at the sight of him and at his words. In a flash Eric had me against the wall, my legs surrounding his waist and the head of his cock teasing my entrance.

"So wet for me Lover".

My hands tangled in his hair as he lifted me higher, bending down to kiss and lick my breasts one at time, sucking my nipples into his mouth and making me grind myself against him, forcing an inch of his dick inside me. His mouth found mine and he kissed me with abandon, slowly lowering me onto him, allowing my body time to get used to his size. I felt my pussy stretch to accommodate him and couldn't help but dig my nails into his back and shoulders at the incredible pleasure.

"You are so tight and hot." His words sent another jolt of pleasure through me and my pussy squeezed around him tighter making us both moan loudly. He started pumping in and out of me, pulling almost all the way out and teasing my entrance with the head of his cock as he pushed back in, all the while holding me firmly against the wall. I couldn't get enough of the incredible sensation of him buried inside me, filling me to perfection.

"So perfect." I whispered in his ear as I felt myself getting closer. He was spurred on by my words reaching a hand between us to rub my clit thrusting into me harder and faster as my moans became louder and louder. He kissed me hungrily, taking in the sounds escaping my lips.

"Eric!" I shouted, throwing my head back as the most powerful orgasm I have ever had spread through my body. Wave after wave of intense pleasure spread from my core and I was amazed to see the golden glow of my magic surround my body, glowing against his skin. I felt Eric's cock swell inside me as he thrust into me forcefully and roared in pleasure "Sookie! så bra!" causing a delicious after-shock to ripple through me.

Without allowing our bodies to separate Eric moved us to the sofa and sat down with me on his lap. He leaned his forehead against mine and traced his fingers very lightly up and down my thighs. "This is right." he said and I sighed in contentment running my fingers through his beautiful golden hair.

I excused myself and reluctantly lifted off of him to go to the bathroom to clean myself up a little. When I returned he was lying on his back, his head propped against a pillow making me congratulate myself on choosing such a huge sofa-bed for the living room even though it was a little too big for the space.

I contemplated putting on some clothes as I was suddenly a little cold and a little shy but decided against it, opting instead to grab my soft fleece blanket from the chaise longue before lying next to Eric and covering us both with the blanket.

"Thank you Lover, that was amazing. I cannot imagine anything more beautiful than your face when you came, engulfed in your magic."

"I had no idea it could be like this." I said quietly.

"Has this never happened to you before?" He asked gently.

"No, never. But I have never felt such pleasure before…"I whispered my response.

"That is nothing to be embarrassed about, älskare, I have never felt such pleasure before either." He told me softly as he lifted me towards him to place a soft kiss on my lips.

I had to tell him. There was no way around it, I didn't want to treat him like I did everyone else, constantly censoring myself, careful not to reveal my secret. I felt so safe lying in his arms and I put my trust in that feeling as I took a deep breath and sat up resting my chin on my knees. Eric moved into a sitting position facing me, wrapping the blanket around me.

"Eric, you were very curious before as to how I could hear the staff in the restaurant approaching even before you did." I said, trying to keep my voice light and even. He nodded, waiting for me to continue.

"Well, I didn't hear them, at least not with my ears. I heard their thoughts. I cannot hear vampires or fairies but I can hear human's thoughts, which is why I find it difficult to date them. Weres are a little harder to read but not impossible."

"You are a telepath?" I nodded.

"I have heard stories but have never actually met one. It is a very rare gift." His voice was full of wonder as he stood up gracefully, lifting me in his arms in a smooth, flowing motion. "Thank you for trusting me with your secret." He whispered in my ear as he carried me to the bed. He laid me gently under the covers, wrapping me in his arms and kissing me softly. As he gently caressed my body with his fingers I buried my face in his chest feeling myself drifting into sleep.

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Here are the translations from French:

"Good evening Messieurs Dames, welcome. We are pleased to have you with us this evening. I am Gaston Jamard and I am the owner and Chef of this establishment. This is Didier, my sou-chef and this is Nathalie, your waitress for tonight."

"For you Miss Brigant, Tonight's menu is a tasting menu combining the rich cuisine typical of the 16th and 17th centuries and the advancement in technology and technique made in the past three centuries, and for you Mr. Northman we have a selection of unique delicacies which are only attainable using the wonders of modern cuisine, each course will of course be complimented by its accompanying drink. Please make yourselves comfortable and we will be returning with your first course very shortly."

"Mr. Jamard, We bid you good night. Dinner was excellent and I appreciate your willingness to accommodate us on such short notice. "

"Thank you Mr. Northman. It was a pleasure serving you and Miss Brigant. Good night and thank you for your visit."

And here are the translations from Swedish:

"Sookie! så bra!" – "Sookie! So good!"

Älskare – lover

**Reviews are Inspiration…**


	7. Chapter 7

I apologize for the long wait; RL is really busy at the moment and I hardly have time to write, so I beg you all to be patient with me. I know exactly where I want to take this story and will definitely post a lot more frequently come January.

I thank everyone that added me to their alerts and favorites, and especially to those of you who left me such lovely reviews! Thank you! It's a wonderful feeling :)

Thanks to the incredible **Northwoman** for being my Beta and a big bag of Thank you's to my brilliant content editor **My Secret O**, for all of her time and dedication.

Charlaine Harris is the sole owner of the SVM; I'm just letting out some creative steam.

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**Unexpected – Chapter 7**

I opened my eyes at the incredible sensation of fingers running through my hair, sending shivers down my spine. Eric was lying on his side, looking at me intently and smiling at my obvious delight; I was practically purring.

"You are so beautiful, Lover." He said, kissing me softly.

"I'm sorry I fell asleep, how long have I been out?"

"A little under an hour, and you have nothing to be sorry for, it is I who should apologize for waking you. I simply had to touch you."

"I'm glad you did." I said and closed my eyes, focusing my attention on the movement of his fingers in my hair.

Without opening my eyes I reached out my hand and lightly placed my hand against Eric's cheek. It took my mind a few seconds to catch up with my senses but my eyes flew open when I realized although I expected his skin to be cool it was almost as warm as mine.

"Eric? Are you OK? You feel warm…?"

"I am quite well, Lover, actually I feel incredible. I think this is a reaction to your blood, a very good reaction. When vampires feed our body temperature rises and our complexion looks almost human but it is for a very short while. Consuming a very large amount of blood will prolong the effect but only slightly."

"I'm not sure I understand, you took very little of my blood and it was almost an hour ago…?"

"I am also surprised, I did take very little of your exquisite blood and it should not have affected me so but I have been thinking about it while you slept and the only conclusion I can draw is that besides being the most extraordinary thing I have ever tasted, your blood has a very unique effect on me." Eric didn't seem troubled, so I relaxed, figuring after a thousand years he would know when to be concerned.

"Is it at all similar to the effects of full fairy blood?"

"Not really, no. Fairy blood is very potent, a small amount of it will make a vampire lose control and become very dangerous, but it does not cause a prolonged feeling of well being anymore than human blood does, or were for that matter. So while your blood tastes quite similar to fairy blood, the similarity ends there."

"So, my blood makes you feel good but not in a dangerous, scary kind of way?"

Eric smiled at me, obviously amused by my words. "It does. I was quite certain it would be safe for me to taste you, since your scent is very subtle and not at all overpowering like the scent of full fairies. I must admit there was an element of risk in what I did. I do not seem to have the best control over myself when I am around you, which is unprecedented for me."

"I don't seem to be fully in control of myself around you either so…" I let my voice trail off as I traced his sculpted muscles with my fingers, slowly moving my hand lower, feeling his body tense as my fingertips touched his truly magnificent cock. I ghosted my fingers around him before I brought my hand up to his shoulder and gently rolled him onto his back pulling myself up on my elbow to kiss him. Eric slid his hands down to my waist and lifted me up on top of him. I kissed him deeply, slowly moving my body up and down his length, making us both moan at the sensation. I trailed open mouth kisses down his chest, licking his nipples one at a time.

"Bite a little" he said and groaned as I put my mouth around his left nipple sucking it into my mouth and biting lightly. I moved to his other nipple to do the same, intentionally brushing my breasts against him as I did. I kissed further down his chest and abdomen using my hair to caress him as well as my fingers and mouth. As I moved further down, Eric's quiet groans grew in intensity and I could not help but moan in response. When my tongue finally touched the silky skin of his hard-on he growled, flipping us over.

"I cannot wait; I need to be inside you." He said and I sighed, surprised I didn't burst into flames at his words. I was so ready for him and I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him towards me. I arched my back as the tip of his cock brushed against my clit. He pushed inside me, gently at first, barely dipping inside before pulling out. After a few more strokes he was suddenly all the way in me, filling me completely, and I moaned, arching my back even further.

His hands cupped my breasts and he growled pulling all the way out before thrusting into me hard, and I cried out in pleasure. He started thrusting in and out of me at an increasing pace, spreading waves of heat from my pussy all through my body. I opened my eyes to look at his face and our eyes met. Eric started pounding into me hard and fast, his eyes never leaving mine. I moaned loudly, losing control over my voice and inhibitions. As the first warm wave of pleasure started to roll over me Eric suddenly changed our position. He was now on his knees holding my hips and moving me up and down, the new angle allowing him to hit my sweet spot with every thrust. The pleasure was so intense I wasn't sure I could bear it. I cried out repeating his name over and over and he groaned hoarsely in response to my cries. I felt my pussy clamp down as my body exploded. The room brightened with the glow of my magic and Eric roared, lifting me up to sit in his lap as he bit my breast and came deep inside me. We collapsed on the bed still tangled in each other's arms, Eric lazily licking the bite marks on my breast.

"That was…unbelievable" I said when I could breathe again.

"You are a goddess." He said as he traced his fingers over the contours of my body.

"Thank you." I said, snuggling against his body as he pulled the covers around us. I felt beautiful and safe. "I love the sound of your voice; would you tell me a story?"

"I have a thousand years of stories to tell Lover, where shall I begin?" He said and I melted at the warmth in his words.

"Maybe you can tell me more about your family, about Godric or Pam, but only if you wish to of course." I was curious about them as it seemed they were both very important to Eric.

"I do not mind telling you about them but these are both stories that contain death and sadness and I do not wish to upset you. Do you still wish to hear them?" I nodded and he continued.

"I was mortally wounded in battle, in a raid on the coast of England, and was carried back towards the ships since my father was the chieftain. Anyone else with the kind of injuries I sustained would have been left for dead. I had lost a great amount of blood and was drifting in and out of consciousness. Sometime during the night I awoke to find a young man sitting beside me. I looked around for my friends but they were gone.

"He spoke to me in my native tongue, telling me my friends left, assuming I was not going to wake again. His voice was soft and melodious, with a slight accent I could not recognize.

'Who are you? How is it that you speak my language?'

'My name is Godric, I have traveled wide and far and speak many languages.'

'But you are young, how is that possible?'

'I might seem young but I am very old by your reckoning. I have been watching you fight for the past few nights. You are a formidable warrior, strong and honorable. But you have very little time left before death claims you. I have been traveling alone for a very long time and did not encounter anyone I wished to have as a companion, until now.'

'What are you?'

'I am undead, a master of the night. I am immortal. I wish I had time to tell you more, help you understand, but I am afraid your time is almost up.'

'How do you know that?'

'I have very acute senses; I can hear your heartbeat slowing down. I offer you the night, and immortality, but you must decide quickly.'

'Why ask? In my current state, I am sure I am no match for you.'

'I will not take your life and make you mine without your consent. This is your decision to make.'

"I was getting weaker and my body felt numb. I was young, and I wanted to live. 'You are an honorable man. I agree.' I whispered and then everything went dark.

"When I awoke, in the dark and coldness of the ground, Godric was there to help me adjust to my new situation. He was a kind master and allowed me to grieve for the loss of my family after I realized I could not return. He was never cruel or unnecessarily harsh and he trained me to be the best vampire, the best warrior; I could be but also taught me how to control the darkness inside me. I stayed with him for over 300 years before I ventured out on my own. He is still the wisest person I know."

"That is an amazing story! I am sorry that you had to go through all that pain, but I'm glad you decided to accept Godric's offer…"

"So am I. I am lucky to have him as my maker, most vampires would not have given me a choice, or treated me as well as he did. I try to be as good a master to Pam as he is to me."

"It sounds like Pam is very lucky to have you as her maker as well."

"As I am to have her as my progeny. She is bright, strong and independent. I am very proud of her, although I sometimes think I should have been a little stricter with her since she is very used to getting her own way, but she is fiercely loyal to me and I am very glad she chooses to stay by my side as my business partner."

"Where did you meet her?"

"I met her in London, sneaking from her parent's residence to a late night rendezvous with a young man. I was drawn to her from the second I laid eyes on her, so I followed her to find out where a young lady like her could possibly be heading in the middle of the night. When she arrived at her destination, a small, hidden garden, she was met by a very anxious young man. After exchanging a few passionate kisses they parted and she made her way back. I had been alone for a few centuries and the thought of having a companion appealed to me. She was beautiful, of course, but also very brave and very different from most young women during that time. I approached her and we started meeting every night after she supposedly went to sleep. She knew I was not human but did not press me for the details of my 'otherness'. When I found her crying one night and inquired about the cause of her distress she told me she was supposed to marry in a week. Her parents intended her to marry a young man whom she despised and she had no choice in the matter. She did not want to be a wife and mother but she was hopelessly trapped. Marriage was the only respectable option for a woman of her status and refusing to do so would have had devastating consequence for her and her family as her intended belonged to a very prominent family.

"She asked if I could save her and I said I could but that I would have to take her life and make her into a creature of the night like me. I was honest with her, explaining that we would leave England as soon as possible and she would not see her family again. I told her while it would be my responsibility as her maker to take care of her and guide her until she would be old and strong enough to be on her own, she would no longer be defined or confined by her sex. I was happy but not surprised when she accepted. I left her lifeless body on her bed and her family buried her, thinking she died mysteriously in her sleep. I retrieved her after the burial and brought her to the resting place I had prepared for us. We left for Paris shortly after that. She adjusted extremely quickly to our nocturnal existence and I believe she has never regretted her decision. I know I have never regretted mine."

"So, is she considered your mate?" I knew I had no right to ask him that, but I couldn't help myself. He smirked at me, slowly caressing my ass and back while I held my breath awaiting his response.

"That aspect of our relationship was short lived. Although it is generally true that maker-progeny relationships are initially sexual, it is quite uncommon for them to be romantic in nature, even in cases where a previous attachment exists. Besides, it has been over a century since Pam has shown any sexual interest in men. She is actually very partial to beautiful brunettes and I'm sure would be quite jealous of my acquaintance with you."

He gave me a fangy grin and I smiled back at him, relief washing over me, quickly followed by a wave of panic when I realized I was setting myself up for heartache and disappointment by getting emotionally attached to Eric. I pushed the disturbing thoughts to the back of my mind and tried to stay in the moment. I was in bed with the most gorgeous, sexy, interesting and intelligent man I have ever met who I just had mind blowing sex with, twice. I was not going to over think it. At least not right now.

I climbed up Eric's body, dusting kisses over his chest and neck, slowly making my way to his lips. I kissed him gently, nibbling on his lower lip, tasting his lips and teasing him with my tongue. Our kiss was soft and sweet, Eric tasted so good and I couldn't get enough of him. Our bodies started moving against each other as the intricate dance of our tongues and lips became fevered and impatient. Suddenly Eric pulled away, leaving me breathless and confused at his abrupt movement.

"Dawn is approaching, I must leave soon. I am afraid we do not have time to finish what we have started but I promise I will try and make it up to you this evening." He said in a slightly hoarse voice, obviously affected by our kiss. Through the windows, I could already see the outline of the trees clearly and the deep blue of the sky beginning to fade.

"Will you make it home in time?" I asked in a low and breathy voice.

"I can fly very fast, Lover, I will be fine. May I call you at sunset to set a time for our date tonight?" I nodded and he kissed me softly, his lips lingering for a second before he pulled away again and got off the bed, dressing at vampire speed.

"Sleep well, Sookie, you truly are a goddess." His words were still hanging in the air but he was already gone. I flopped against my pillow and stared at the fading sky until sleep finally claimed me.

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**Reviews are Inspiration !**


	8. Chapter 8

So here it is - the (hopefully) long awaited chapter 8! I am really sorry it took so long but it could not be helped…

I thank each and every one of you that added me to your alerts and favorites, and I cannot thank all of my reviewers enough for letting me know how much you are enjoying this story and inspiring me to write faster.

My incredible husband was a huge help in writing this one and you all have him to thank for the lemony goodness in this chapter. Since it's an Eric POV I seriously could not have done it without him. Thank you R! I love you!

I love my amazingly perfect content editor **My Secret O**. She is not only a brilliant writer and you should all go and check out her story "Getaway" if you haven't already, but also an endless source of advice and support helping me bring this story to life.

I just wanted to clarify, as some of you mentioned it in your reviews, that although this is an SVM story, I am basing Eric's maker in this story on TB's Godric (although 'my' Godric is quite different in some respects).

Charlaine Harris is the sole owner of the SVM; I'm just letting out some creative steam.

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**Unexpected – Chapter 8**

I woke, hard and restless. It is not unusual for a young vampire to be sexually aroused when they wake, since feeding and sex are so closely related for vampires, and young vampires are extremely hungry when they wake, but I am not a young vampire by any stretch of the imagination. And yet here I was, craving Sookie's body and blood, barely maintaining my control. I picked up my phone from its docking station on the nightstand and quickly dialed her number, which I made sure to acquire last night while she was resting. I also entered my number on her phone with a picture I hoped she would appreciate. She answered almost immediately, and I was greeted with the melodious sound of her voice. "Hello," she said, sounding surprised and slightly breathless. "Hello lover, did I wake you?" I smiled as I heard her pulse quicken. "No, I woke up a few minutes ago, thank you for the picture, it's…breathtaking. But the sun is still up, how are you up so early?"

"The ability to rise early is one of the benefits of being so old and in my case it might be enhanced with a natural tendency, I'm not sure, for the past two centuries I have been able to rise well before the sun sets…" I let my voice trail off before I continued in a lower voice "Tell me Sookie, what are you wearing?" she gasped and stayed silent for a second or two before she answered quietly, her voice barely louder than a whisper. "A robe, I just got out of the shower, what are you wearing Eric?" I groaned at her words, unable to refrain from stroking my cock as I thought about her perfect, beautiful body. "I never dress for bed, lover." Her moan was barely audible but of course I heard it. "Will you do something for me?" I asked as I worked my length up and down, slightly squeezing and teasing the tip with my thumb with each upward movement. "Touch those beautiful breasts for me lover" I was half commanding, half pleading with her to join me as I wasn't sure I could bring myself to stop. I could hear the soft thud of the robe hitting the floor and her heart hammering in her chest as she apparently did as I asked. I was desperate for her touch, wanting, needing to be inside her, to hear my name roll off of her beautiful lips, but I could not leave my bedroom. "Are you wet for me lover? I am achingly hard for you, come to me lover…" I wasn't quite sure what I was asking of her as I moved my hand faster and harder up and down my cock, listening to her muffled moans when suddenly she spoke, her voice urgent. "What is your address Eric?" I took an unnecessary breath before I answered, trying to keep my voice steady. "Place des Vosges 7, first door on the right." I felt a jolt of pure lust when she said, "I'll be there in 5 minutes, can you buzz me in without exposing yourself to the sun?" My cock twitched at the prospect of seeing her so soon. "Yes, I can." I could hear a door opening and the ruffling sound of a garment being pulled out of the closet. "Wait for me Eric, I won't be long." Lust was coursing through me and I was consumed with my need for her. "I will wait for you, lover, as long as it takes," I said as I sat on the edge of the bed, grasping for control. She hung up and I willed myself to sit there, motionless, my body begging for release. Strictly speaking, I was not bound by human limitations and could climax over and over again without requiring any time to recover but Sookie wanted me to wait and I had every intention of complying with her wishes.

I did not have much time when I arrived home this morning. I checked my e-mails, making sure everything was in order, and sent a quick message to my personal assistant, informing her where I left my car and that I expected it back in Paris by sunset. I also made arrangements for Sookie's dinner, and a few other items, to be delivered right after sunset.

I quickly showered and was just toweling my hair when the security console next to the bedroom door chimed. I touched the screen and Sookie's beautiful face came into view. "I am on the 4th floor, I will leave the apartment door unlocked" I said, letting her inside the building and remotely unlocking the front door. I waited impatiently for her to climb the stairs until I heard her open the door. "Eric?" She was in my living room, and I could already smell her sweet scent, so close. "Follow my voice, lover," I said and heard her take off her boots before she moved down the hall, dropping her coat on the floor when she reached my bedroom door. Her scent engulfed me as she stepped over the threshold and gasped, taking in my naked form. Very faint light was streaming through the hall from the living room, illuminating her figure from behind. She was wearing a dark blue wrap dress made from a soft, clingy material that draped over her curves gracefully. She stood a few steps away from me and slowly pulled on the sash surrounding her waist, allowing the dress to fall at her feet. She was hauntingly beautiful, her hair flowing around her in soft waves, accentuating her milky white skin and the smooth contours of her painfully perfect body.

I got impossibly harder at the sight of her and within seconds I had her in my arms kissing her hungrily. Her hands tangled in my hair pulling me closer as I lifted her up, her legs wrapping around my waist.

I moved us to the bed, laying her down against the pillows breaking our kiss to allow her to take a necessary breath. The scent of her arousal was permeating the air and I was quickly losing what little control I had left. Her hand moved between us and she stroked me, slowly and deliberately. Her eyes were a stormy ocean and I wanted nothing more than to drown in them losing all sense of time and self.

I moved my hand down her body, admiring the impossible smoothness of her skin and her perfectly shaped, full, round breasts. Sookie increased the pace of her strokes and I moved to lick her nipples, letting my hands trail further down into her soft, wet curls. I gently moved my finger down her slit, tracing her lips and parting them, allowing my finger to lightly brush her clit. She moaned, pushing against my hand and I slid my finger inside her, feeling how wet and warm she was. I groaned at the sensation and started pumping my finger in and out of her tight pussy. She was moaning and mewling, driving me wild, and her hot little hand around my cock lost its rhythm, moving more and more erratically as I pumped faster and harder. She was lost in her pleasure, her eyes tightly shut, and I could feel the light tremors running through her. I halted my movement, curling my finger and pressed lightly on the small button hidden inside her. Her eyes popped open and she shouted out in ecstasy, her hands clutching the sheets. I lifted her up to a sitting position sinking my fangs into the soft flesh between her shoulder and her neck and she screamed out my name. I felt her pussy clamp down and her cum dripping down my hand. I quickly retracted my fangs and lifted her up, impaling her on my hard, waiting cock. Her wet pussy welcomed me, letting me slide inside her slick warmth in one smooth stroke. "Oh Eric…yes…mmmm…" she whispered in my ear spurring me on and I started to move her up and down my length, looking down to watch myself disappear inside her. I lifted my head back to watch her beautiful face, feeling her walls squeezing me tightly. "You feel so good inside me…more…I want…" The last shred of control inside me was gone at hearing her words and I moved her faster and harder, biting her again, drawing her sweet blood into my mouth. "Eric!" I felt her come around me and I thrust twice more inside her, my release hitting my entire body at once. " OH, Sookie!" I yelled, forcing myself to maintain my position so I wouldn't drop Sookie to the floor. I really did not know how to interpret what was happening between us, I have thoroughly explored the realm of carnal pleasures in my long existence and I thought I had experienced and enjoyed everything there was to discover, but the pure, unadulterated bliss I experienced with Sookie was definitely new to me and I was at a loss trying to explain it. I lay back on the bed, caressing Sookie in my arms and ran my fingers up and down her back until I felt her heartbeat settle into a steady rhythm. "Good evening, lover." I smiled at her, unable to tear my eyes away from the open, unguarded expression on her face. She was such a study in contradiction, so sophisticated and elegant, her eyes wise beyond her years, yet so innocent and young looking at the same time.

"Good evening, Eric" she said shyly, and I was at a loss to understand how she could go from vixen to demure in a heartbeat. "Your dinner will be here at sunset. Would you like us to take a bath in the meantime?"

"Yes, a bath sounds amazing…"

"Very well, wait here, I will come and get you in a minute" I said and went into the bathroom. I quickly set the water temperature and added a few drops of mandarin oil.

When I returned to the room I picked Sookie up from the bed and she snuggled into my chest. I deposited her in the water sliding behind her. She rested her head on my chest sighing quietly and I could not suppress my own sigh at the feeling of her body against mine in the warm fragrant water.

I licked her ear, blowing on it gently and whispered, "You are so fascinating, lover." I watched mesmerized as her nipples hardened into pink peaks. I couldn't help but try to remember the last time I enjoyed the company of a woman this much, but I came up empty. She was unique.

I poured some bath oil on my hands and slowly smoothed it over her breasts and stomach, rubbing small circles over her skin and causing her to sink even further against me, relaxing into my embrace. We stayed like that for a while, neither of us wishing to disturb the comfortable silence between us.

As the sun set and the water started to cool down I got out of the bath, helping Sookie out and wrapping her in my bath robe that went all the way down to her feet. I deftly soaked the water from my hair and skin with a towel. The security console chimed and I headed back to the bedroom, and buzzed the young human, carrying a large package from Le Notre, in, directing him to my floor. "I will be right back," I said, and she nodded, smiling as she sat on the edge of the bed gently patting her hair with the towel I dropped on the bed. I pulled on a pair of dark jeans and headed for the door. I tipped the human and locked the door, laying the package on the kitchen counter. I quickly uncorked the wine, setting it on the counter to breathe before returning to the bedroom.

I was disappointed to find Sookie already dressed and I suppose I did not conceal it well since she chuckled, laying her hand against my chest. "Don't pout, I really want to see the rest of the apartment and I don't think that's going to happen as long as we're naked." I brought her hand up to my lips, kissing her softly. "Regrettably, you are right." I pulled a light blue sweater over my head not bothering with socks and shoes as I loved the feeling of the warn wood under my feet. Sookie obviously felt the same as she chose to remain barefoot as well. The apartment was well heated so there really was no need to dress warm. "May I use your brush?" she asked, picking it up from the dresser. "Of course," I said, smirking at her as I caught her eyeing my ass in the mirror when I bent down to pick up the towels from the bed. I quickly hung the towels in the bathroom and returned to the room, standing behind her. "May I?" I asked her reaching my hand out for the brush. She nodded and handed me the brush with a questioning look. She seemed surprised when I started brushing her hair gently and her eyes closed for a moment. I was watching our reflection in the mirror, our skin tones were almost identical and I noticed her small frame fit perfectly with my large one. The contrast, usually so evident, between the undead and the living was practically nonexistent. We looked like we belonged together. My musings were interrupted by Sookie's stomach quietly protesting.

"I apologize, lover, you are hungry, and I have been remiss as a host, satisfying my needs and neglecting yours," I said, putting the brush back on the dresser.

"I can hardly claim to be unsatisfied," she grinned at me, "Although I seem to have worked up quite an appetite…but I also really want to see the apartment." I smiled, leading her out of the bedroom, "I think I can offer a solution to your dilemma, you can tour the apartment slowly, and have your dinner at the same time. How does first course in the living room sound? We can work our way back to the bedroom for dessert…" She nodded, her alabaster skin tinged with a very faint blush. "That sounds like a plan." We made our way to the living room and I moved into the kitchen, where I quickly and expertly arranged Sookie's dinner on several large plates.

"Are the floors original?" Sookie asked, bubbling with excitement. I couldn't help but chuckle at her obvious enthusiasm. "Yes, they have been refinished recently, not for the first time obviously, but never replaced." She bent down, almost caressing the floor boards with her fingers and I was struck with an overwhelming urge to press myself against her incredible ass.

"I have never seen so many original features in a Paris apartment of this age, outside the context of a museum. this place is unbelievable!" She said, moving to the other side of the living room to admire the fireplace. I heated one of Etienne's bloods and poured it into a large wine glass. I was not hungry, but I wanted Sookie to feel comfortable. I carried the glass and one of Sookie's plates to the dining table and went back to the kitchen to grab the rest of the things I needed to set the table. "I truly enjoyed this period's style and I tried to maintain and preserve it instead of replacing it with newer elements. Concessions obviously had to be made in the interest of modernity, but even when retrofitting the baths and adding the open plan kitchen, I tried to maintain the original feel of the apartment." I poured the white wine into Sookie's glass and pulled out a chair, gesturing for her to sit down. "I am awestruck; you did very, very well…" I smiled, sitting across the table from her. "I am glad you approve, I hope the food is to your liking." I raised an eyebrow in question. "It looks amazing, do you want to tell me about it or should I just guess my way through?" Her smile was mischievous and she raised her eyebrow reflecting my expression back to me. "It is an assortment of Hors d'œuvré from Le Notre, the entrées are a shrimp and grapefruit salad, crudités of fresh seasonal vegetables, Saint-Jacque tartar in lobster sauce and a macadamia tuile, Royal foie gras and duck confit, Tail fried prawns with mixed herbs and radish, Scallop Ceviche, roasted lamb with coriander, almonds and grapes, and Norwegian smoked salmon, which I added since it is similar to the food I ate when I was human." The dishes were very small, almost bite sized and I hoped the variety would not be overwhelming. "Sounds delicious…" Sookie said, and started sampling the different dishes, moaning in pleasure and licking her fingers, and I again marveled at my reaction to her enjoyment of food. I did not mind human food or watching humans eat but I was indifferent to it. Watching Sookie eat was, however, a pure erotic experience which I could not get enough of. After nibbling her way through most of the 'dishes' she wiped her hands clean with the cloth napkin, setting it beside her plate. "The food is perfect and so is the wine. For someone who doesn't date you are very good at it, in fact I am pretty sure you are spoiling me for other men…" Her smile radiated warmth and I felt a distinct pang of jealousy at the thought of her with another man, even a theoretical one. "Would you like to listen to some music while you eat?" She nodded and I moved to the far wall of the room, quickly inserting a CD into the sound system. The sounds of Bach's double violin concerto filtered through the apartment as I sat back at the table, taking the chair next to Sookie. "Oh, I love this concerto, Bach is one of my favorites," she said and I smiled, stealing a quick kiss from her lips. "mmm…you taste of the sea…I have always admired Bach, it is a sign of the obtuseness of his contemporaries that his genius as a composer was only recognized centuries after his death."

"I know, it's so strange…Did you ever hear him play?" Her easy acceptance of my age was refreshing and I did not feel the need to 'contemporize' myself like I mostly did in the company of humans. "I did, once, he was a gifted player." Seeing that Sookie was apparently done with her entrées I stood up, "Shall we continue our tour?" Sookie stood gracefully and followed me down the hall to the library. "Eric, this is so beautiful! If I had a library like this I would never leave the house." She was walking around the room, running her hands along the rows of books covering the walls, occasionally pausing to admire one of her favorites. I had always loved reading, and acquired a rather impressive collection over the past few centuries; My Paris library contained mostly French authors and books although there were also a few shelves of Latin and Italian. "I will be right back," I said and returned to the kitchen, taking the second plate out of the oven, where I left it to heat while Sookie was eating her first course, and loading a tray with a second set of utensils from the kitchen island, pouring red wine into a glass and adding it to the tray. I returned to the library, where Sookie was still wandering happily among the books and set the plate on a small side table next to the sofa. We sat down on the large comfortable sofa and Sookie gasped when she saw the plate. "Eric, I am only one person, why did you order so much food?" I laughed, running my fingers through my hair. "I did not know what you would like but I knew you would need to keep your strength up so I ordered a little of everything…" She laughed and shook her head at me. "For the main course you have Chicken tagliatelle in morel mushroom sauce, Cod fillet on creamy polenta, beef fillet and confit ravioli with fondant carrots and Brussels sprouts, Veal tenderloin, mashed potatoes, soy beans and artichoke hearts, and Lobster medallion on a bed of vanilla mashed sweet potato." I could see that she was curious about some of the dishes I described and was assured of her approval when she again started moaning appreciatively, making my already hard cock twitch in response. My resolve to allow her to finish her meal was being tested so I tried to distract myself. "What do you usually read Sookie? Do you have a favorite author, or a genre that you prefer?" she put her fork down, touching her napkin to her mouth before laying it back on her knees. "That is a very difficult question, as I am something of a bookworm. I read many genres, 'serious' fiction, historical novels, fantasy and science fiction, even romantic novels when the mood strikes. I don't think there are 'superior' genres, only good or bad books. I love everything by Gabriel Garcia Marquez but also everything by Isaac Asimov. I obviously adore Jane Austin but Sherlock Holmes is my favorite detective. It's not that I like everything I read but I am rather open-minded and can appreciate good writing wherever it is found." I grinned at her, nodding emphatically. "I couldn't agree more, I am also an insatiable reader and I too ignore the distinction between high and low brow literature as it is artificial and unjust. I love Marquez as well and enjoy science fiction occasionally, although I can't say that I am well versed. Dante is amongst my favorites along with Swift, Chekov, Melville and Hesse to name but a few. I have recently read and enjoyed Ursula K. Le-guin's 'The Dispossesed'." Sookie's eyes lit up and her grin matched mine. "I love her! 'The left hand of darkness' is one of my all time favorites. I like most of Romain Gary's books, especially 'Les Cerfs-volants', Bulgakov's 'The master and Margarita', 'The Lord of the Rings' and the 'Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy'. I could probably go on all night…" I could not decide what was more enchanting, her beauty or her intellect, she was amazing and I was under her spell. I moved closer to her on the sofa, lifting the napkin from her lap. "Are you finished eating? Would you like to see the guest bedrooms now?" She took my hand and we both stood up. She pulled me down to plant a soft kiss on my lips. "I am, and I would," she said and I led her out of the library and into the first door on the right. "This is the room Pam usually uses when she stays here, it reflects her tastes perfectly." The walls were covered with patterned wallpaper in soft pastels, matching the aubusson rug and the layers of floral fabric draped around the white four poster bed. The room had a walk-in closet and a white, mirrored vanity, with a plush upholstered bench, stood next to the large, heavily curtained windows. Sookie moved around the room, admiring the fabrics and colors. "Pam definitely has good taste, this room is stunning!"

"I will be sure to tell her you said that, she is quite proud of her discerning tastes." We crossed the hall into the room on the left, my hand resting on the small of Sookie's back. "And this is the room Godric uses when he visits." It was very different from the room we just left although the colors were light as well. The curtains were white and sheer and the bed was covered with bright white linens. The bed, night stand, and armoire were made from a light blond wood. There were a few dark green and brown pillows strewn across the bed and a large sand colored chair stood beside the bed. "It seems that you all have very good taste, this room is so…peaceful, relaxing." I smiled, wrapping her in my arms. "I feel the same way. I know you haven't seen the guest bathroom yet but I really want you to _explore_ the master bedroom more thoroughly, do you mind finishing the tour later?"

She shook her head no and I lifted her in my arms and carried her back to my bedroom setting her down on the bed. She immediately held out her hand halting me mid-motion on my way to join her. Her smile was playful and full of promise as she lifted a finger, twirling it in a circular motion, signaling that she wished for me to turn around. "Would you please take off your pants?" she asked and I slowly peeled the jeans off gratified by the quickening of her pulse at the sight. "And your sweater?" I pulled it off slowly, still facing away from her and she sighed in appreciation. "You are so beautiful…" I chuckled at her wistful tone. "May I turn around now lover? I do have other assets on the other side…" I turned around to see a light blush coloring her cheeks and I smirked. "I was referring to my face of course." She laughed appreciatively and crooked her finger in a 'come hither' motion, her eyes dark and hooded with lust. I stepped forward and she scooted to the edge of the bed, sitting on her knees. She trailed her fingers lightly over my chest and abdomen, kissing her way down from my naval to my straining erection. She wrapped her fingers around my cock and I moaned loudly.

Sookie looked straight into my eyes, a naughty expression on her face, before lowering her gaze to my cock, throbbing in her hand. She stared at it for a few long seconds before softly pressing her beautiful, petal shaped lips to the tip.

My dick reacted with a small jolt pushing against her hand and mouth. Sookie stared at it with interest and then took me by surprise when she lifted it up against my body and licked me with a soft, open tongue all the way from my balls to the head of my cock, pulling a loud groan from deep inside of me.

I was extremely aroused watching her pleasure me in this manner and even the slightest movement of her tongue on me sent ripples of pleasure through my body and down to my toes.

I scrambled inwardly to regain my control and looked down to see Sookie watching my dick with fascination. A drop of pre-cum had escaped it and Sookie slowly advanced towards it open mouthed. She took the head in her mouth, gently sucking on it, apparently relishing my taste. I growled, tangling my hand in her hair, careful not to push her forward. I ached for her to take me in her mouth but I did not want her to feel I was pressuring her into anything. She slowly moved her mouth, taking me further in until I could feel her throat. She started moving up and down my length in an increasing pace, using one of her hands to stroke the part of me she couldn't reach with her mouth while the other caressed my balls gently. "Sookie," I moaned out her name, and she tightened her hold on me moving both her hand and her mouth up and down my dick, squeezing my sensitive dome with her fingers.

Her movements slowed down letting me know she was getting tired, whether because she was unaccustomed to my size or simply not very experienced I did not know, and now was not the time to inquire. I pulled back, kneeling in front of the bed and kissing Sookie deeply and passionately before flipping her over to stand on her hands and knees on the bed. I rolled the hem of her dress slowly up to reveal first her beautiful legs and thighs and then her luscious round ass and her pussy, glistening wet with her arousal. "So fucking beautiful," I said in low voice enjoying the soft moan that escaped her in response to my words. I mimicked her movement from before, passing my tongue in a broad upward motion from her clit to her entrance and she shuddered, clutching the sheets and moaning loudly. I flicked her clit lightly before spreading her lips with my tongue, thrusting it inside her. This angle allowed me to lick her clit while the delicious taste of her sweet pussy dripped on the back of my tongue. "Eric, please…" She pleaded and I pushed a finger inside her, making her buck against my hand. I flicked my finger against her sweet spot and she shouted my name. I pulled out my finger and rubbed my cock against her folds, turning her frustrated sigh into an excited moan. I quickly disrobed her, throwing her shredded dress to the floor, and she moved wildly against me, moaning uncontrollably. I put my hand on her ass to steady her movements and positioned my cock at her entrance. I pushed against her, feeling her flesh resist for a second before it yielded and I was inside her, sheathing myself in her heat. "Eric!" she screamed, arching her back and pushing against me and I felt my control slipping again. I started pumping in and out of her beautiful body and she threw her head back her hair flying around her. "More…" she whispered and something inside me snapped. I roared, grabbing her waist and thrusting inside her harder and faster than before. "Yes, yes, yes, oh Eric, god yes!" I pulled her up to stand on her knees, snaking my hand around her waist to circle her clit with my fingers as I bit her long, elegant neck. "Oh yes! Eric!" she tensed as she came around me, her magic flooding the room, and I exploded inside her as her blood filled my mouth.

I moved us to a lying position in the center of the bed, spooning Sookie from behind as I licked her wound closed. She snuggled into my body and sighed in contentment as I pulled the covers around us. "Mmm...I don't think I know words that can do _that _justice" I smiled although she couldn't see it, and moved her hair so I could lick her ear lobe, making her shiver. "I am fluent in over a hundred languages but I tend to agree with you there lover." We lay there quietly for a while, basking in the spectacular afterglow until I heard Sookie's heartbeat steady and her breathing even out. I held her for a while longer, before getting out of bed and making my way to the library. I needed to talk to someone about Sookie. I needed some of my questions answered and Godric was the only one who might be able to help.

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_I am almost done with chapter 9, I just need a little more inspiration… and you all know that reviews are inspiration right?_

I am still looking for someone interested in helping with Swedish translations so please, if any of you feel they would like a sneak preview of the story (mostly of the lemons) and are fluent in Swedish, I will be thrilled to hear from you.

Some links and information on this chapter:

As I am sure any of you who have been to Paris are aware (and probably those of you who haven't as well), Place des Vosges is a real place. It is the oldest planned square in Paris and was built in the early 17th century. It is a very popular place to sit in the summer, enjoying the sun (As Parisians love to do) or if you're like me, sitting in the cool shade of the trees having a perfect cone of Ice cream from Pozzetto, which is unequivocally the best in Paris no matter what you might hear about Berthillon.

For any of you who intend on visiting Paris sometimes in the near future here is their information: www(dot)pozzetto(dot)biz/

Also, I needed inspiration for all the food descriptions in this chapter which I easily found here: www(dot)lenotre(dot)fr/ - they are situated not far from Place des Vosges and their food is simply beautiful…


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks to all of you who have patiently waited for me to update and to all those who added this story to their favorites and alerts.

I reply to each and every review but I feel the need to thank you all again for your lovely reviews. I am delighted and touched by your kindness.

To my girl Friday, **My Secret O**, thank you doesn't begin to convey my appreciation for your awesome editing skills and for your continuous love and support, you are amazing!

Charlaine Harris is the sole owner of the SVM; I'm just letting out some creative steam.

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**Unexpected - Chapter 9**

I sat at my desk, which was actually a later addition to the library, from the late 19th century. 18th century writing desks were simply uncomfortable. I really did not fit behind those tiny, delicate things and I was relieved when larger desks became popular.

I turned on my laptop and checked my e-mails. I had one from Pam, letting me know she had nothing interesting to report and complaining about my refusal to share any details about 'my fairy'. My progeny was brilliant and I enjoyed her company very much (most of the time) but she was not emotional in any sense of the word and I could not see any gain in discussing Sookie with her. I sent her a quick reply:

'Pam,

Are there no long legged brunettes to keep you occupied? Or are you losing your charms? I am sure you are sad, knowing that you will never be as skilled with women as me but I know I taught you a thing or two about the art of seduction…

Stop being a brat or I will burn the Louboutin's that I bought you.

E.'

I logged in to Skype and clicked on Godric's picture. 'Are you busy? Can you talk?' I wrote him, and he immediately called me. I accepted his call and adjusted the angle of my screen so that the built-in camera was pointed at me. "Good night Eyrikr, I was expecting your call, I have been feeling very _interesting _things from you for the past few nights…" I smiled, switching to full screen mode. "Good night, Godric. I am happy to see you, despite the poor quality of the video."

"As am I, little one." Godric calling me little might seem strange to some, not that anyone besides Pam ever witnessed our private conversations, but being my elder by more than a thousand years his name for me had nothing to do with physical size. Godric might look like a very young man but he is one of the oldest beings in our world, and his strength and wisdom are legendary.

"I see that you had wireless Internet installed around the house," I said, smiling. I could see the stars behind my maker's head and hear the sound of the ocean in the background. "Yes, I did not want to be confined to the house every time I wished to use the Internet. One of the main reasons I bought this island was my wish to be surrounded by unspoiled nature. I am sure you did not call me to discuss my internet provider though."

"You are right of course; I am calling to discuss the reason for the strange things you have been sensing through our bond. Her name is Sookie Brigant, and she is the most enchanting, beautiful and intriguing woman I have ever met."

"That is a serious statement coming from you, Eyrikr. Although her name tells me that she is one of Niall's, I assume that she is not fully fae or I am sure I would have felt very different things from you."

"She is Niall's great-granddaughter and a quarter fae but I feel that is not enough to explain the connection between us."

"How can I help?"

"This is new to me, and very complicated. I am unsure of how to proceed. I have only known her for a very short while but I already cannot imagine being without her. Being with her is beyond anything I have experienced, sexually and otherwise, it feels right. She feels right, for me. I want to give her my blood, I want to make her mine, but I am not sure if that would be wise. She is so young, what if she regrets it? There is also Niall to consider. She told me that he promised her he will not interfere in her choice of mate but I am sure I am not what he had in mind. This is all so unusual; I trust her and she seems to trust me, and accepts me for who I am. You have taught me well. I do not rush into things and I do not trust blindly, but I cannot bring myself to doubt her."

My maker looked thoughtful, pausing slightly before replying. "It is most definitely quite unusual for a princess of the Fae to trust a vampire but it is just as strange for a vampire, and an old and experienced one at that, to trust a Fairy. The fates are not always reasonable when it comes to love. I realize that love has never been part of your plans but I have always known that you have a great capacity for it. I know you control your emotions very carefully and I feel your reluctance to accept the true nature of your feelings, but you must realize, true love cannot be denied. It is a gift, and one that vampires rarely receive. If the young princess is your true mate then no one, not even her great grandfather, can come between you. You said it yourself; you already cannot imagine being without her. Have you taken her lifespan into consideration? Will she be short lived, like her human ancestors or will she live as long as her Fae ones?"

"It is too early to tell; her powers will only reveal themselves when she is 25."

"She really is young then. Are her feelings similar to yours? Where is she now? Why isn't she with you?"

"She is sleeping in my bed; I am not sure how she feels. She clearly recognizes how special this is but we have yet to discuss what will happen in two weeks, when I go back to the states. I do not want to 'scare her off' by pushing too hard, too fast."

"I can understand that and I trust that you will know what to say and when." I smiled, pleased that my emotions did not make Godric doubt my judgment or my ability to get what I want. Sookie's scent suddenly intensified and I knew that she was awake and must be thinking of me.

"Master, I apologize. Sookie is awake and I do not wish to keep her waiting, please forgive me." I bowed my head deeply and felt Godric's love and reassurance through our bond.

"No need to apologize Eric, it seems that you have your hands full." He smirked as Sookie appeared in the doorway wearing one of my shirts.

"Godric, this is Sookie Brigant, Sookie this is Godric Strathaven"

"It is a pleasure to meet you; Eric speaks very highly of you." She was gracious and respectful, greeting Godric as the princess that she was regardless of the time, the medium, or her attire.

"Likewise, Mademoiselle Brigant." Godric bowed his head to her, signaling his approval. "I will leave you to the rest of your night." He smirked at us and abruptly hung up the connection.

"I am sorry for not being in bed when you woke lover, I needed to talk to Godric and did not want to disturb your sleep."

"That's fine Eric; I understand that you have things that require your attention."

"Would you like to have some dessert now?"

"Can we have it here, in the library?"

"Certainly Mademoiselle, if you will excuse me, I will be right back with your desserts." I bowed deeply making an elaborate hand flourish and she laughed.

"Very well, monsieur, you may go." She made a dismissing gesture, playing along. I went to the kitchen to get the dessert plate with the accompanying utensils and a clean cloth napkin, collecting the previous courses in the meantime and depositing them in the kitchen sink.

I set the plate on the same small table as before and sat next to it, gesturing for Sookie to sit on my lap. When she was comfortably situated I gestured to the plate in front of us. "I have been told these are called petits fours, I hope they are to your liking." She smiled, looking at the plate with appreciation. "Oh yes, I am so addicted to French pastries, they are the perfect combination of size, taste and looks. I have never had a whole meal of bite-sized food before, I loved it! Thank you." She turned her head to plant a soft kiss on my lips which I gladly reciprocated. She turned her attention back to the food, her fingers hovering over the different confections indecisively. "Is something the matter?" I asked, and she laughed, making my dick twitch underneath her. "Not at all, I am just having a hard time deciding where to start."

"Would you like me to choose for you?" she nodded and I reached into her plate, picking up one of the tiny morsels and bringing it to her lips. Her mouth opened and her lips surrounded the tiny tartellete, barely touching my fingers. Her eyes closed and she moaned slightly, savoring the taste. I picked up another morsel and brought it to her mouth while using my other hand to pull my shirt from under her so there was nothing separating our naked bodies. I started moving back and forth, lightly rubbing against her wetness. I delivered the next petit four into her waiting mouth while at the same time lifting her up to slide my hard length inside her. She gasped and moaned, moving her body against mine in a slow grinding motion. I moved my left hand to caress her breasts under my shirt, teasing her nipples, while lifting another morsel from the plate, and watching Sookie devour it, taking my right hand in hers and bringing it to her mouth to lick my fingers clean. I lifted her up, thrusting inside her and she dug her nails into my thighs, bracing herself as I continued to thrust faster and deeper. She licked her fingers, bringing them down to touch her clit and I growled, biting the back of her neck, without piercing the skin. She started rocking faster against me, squeezing the base of my cock as she moved forward. I was so deep inside her I could feel my dick hitting her cervix each time she pushed her body down, grinding and moving her fingers faster and faster, her breathing erratic and labored as she neared her climax. She was magnificent in her passion, riding my cock with abandon. Her movements became frantic and I could feel her pussy tighten around me. I let go, allowing her to take us both over the edge. "Bite me Eric…" she breathed out and I pierced the soft skin of her neck, the taste of her exquisite blood hitting my tongue. She cried out in ecstasy, diffusing the room with the light and scent of her magic and I immediately followed her, throwing my head back and yelling out her name. She fell back against me, resting her head on my chest. After a few minutes I felt her shiver slightly and I picked her up, carrying her back to bed.

"I would like to heal your bite marks; nothing should mar skin as perfect as yours." She sat up in bed, watching me intently. I continued, not giving her time to react.

"If I rub a very small amount of my blood on your wounds they will disappear almost instantly." Her eyebrows knitted together in an expression I have already come to associate with her concentrating on something.

"I remember Niall telling me about the healing properties of vampire blood, but he also said that vampires guard their blood very closely and almost never share it with anyone."

"He was right of course; I have never shared my blood with anyone besides my maker and child. When a vampire gives a human their blood they are able to sense the human's emotions and whereabouts. They are also capable of influencing the human to a certain degree. You are not human and I do not know if that could even happen in your case but even if it could, the amount of blood actually entering your blood stream would be miniscule."

"What would happen if I took a larger amount of your blood?" She asked, and my cock stirred against her thigh.

"I would be able to feel what you are feeling and would be able to find you quickly if the need ever arises. My blood might heighten your senses and boost your libido. It can also improve your health, energy levels and appearance, although in your case I cannot imagine the effect being visible. My blood could also enhance or increase any sexual attraction you might have for me." I smirked at her before continuing.

"All of these effects are temporary, and will fade with time unless a permanent bond has been formed." Her eyes were deep pools of blue and I could not decipher the emotions swirling behind them.

"A bond?"

"Yes, three mutual exchanges of blood usually result in a bond that cannot be severed while the bonded survive. A bond is mutual, in the sense that it allows the human to sense the vampire's emotions as well." She stayed silent for a few minutes, resting her head against my chest.

"I think I would like it if you healed my bite marks, not because I'm ashamed of them, because I'm not, but because I do not feel the need to share the amazing things we do in private with the whole world." I bit my finger and rubbed the tiny drop of blood on the wounds in her neck.

"Thank you for doing that, I accept it as the gift I feel it was intended to be." She kissed my already healed finger, licking it clean.

"Thank you for accepting. Will you stay with me today Sookie? I find myself longing to wake to your scent and warmness in my bed." She smiled as I touched her cheek, moving her hair back from her face.

"I would love to, but I am supposed to pop over to my Gran's around lunchtime."

"You can go and return here when you're finished."

"Isn't this place warded against fairies popping in? Niall told me that's a standard security measure for vampires."

"It is, but since you were invited, the ward will recognize you and allow you to return." Her face lit up for a second before her expression changed into disappointment.

"What is it lover?"

"I have nothing to wear, since you shredded my dress, and I didn't bring any toiletries with me…"

"My long existence has taught me to plan for every contingency, I have already made sure you would have everything you need should you choose to stay."

"It's a good thing I think confidence is a very sexy quality in a man…" She shook her head at me, smiling, and I grinned back at her.

"Would you like me to go and get your things now?"

"Yes please, I'm just going to take a quick shower if that's ok with you."

"Of course lover, I will be back in a minute." I got off the bed and headed towards the living room. I opened the front door pleased to find the packages I instructed Nicolette to pick up for me waiting on the doormat.

I gathered the things from the floor, locking the door again, and returned to the bedroom. I quickly opened the packages, neatly arranging their content on the dresser. Just as I was setting the last item on the night stand Sookie emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in my robe, her hair piled on her head in a messy bun.

"There are clothes on the dresser and some toiletries on the night stand, I am going to take a quick shower as well, I will just be a minute." She nodded, stopping me for a kiss on my way to the bathroom.

While I was in the shower Sookie came in to brush her teeth, finishing just as I turned the water off. I wrung the water out of my hair and took out a new towel to dry myself off since the one I used before was completely wet having been used by Sookie to dry her hair.

I followed Sookie back into the bedroom where we both got under the covers. I was delighted to see that she had chosen to remain naked and did not cover her beautiful, warm and fragrant skin with one of my t-shirts, not that I would have minded seeing her in one of those, but I obviously preferred her in nothing at all.

"You really didn't need to buy those things for me Eric," She said quietly.

"I know that Sookie, I wanted you to feel comfortable and since you are not only the first human, or part human, I invited to spend the day with me but also the first one to see this apartment, I wanted to at least provide you with the essentials, hence the toiletries. As for the clothes, you cannot deny that I am responsible for the destruction of your dress tonight, and your panties last night. I believe it is only fair that I replace the items that I so carelessly destroyed. You can consider the rest as a down payment for any future damage I might inflict on your clothing. I hope you will not be so cruel as to refuse to allow it." I kept my expression serious, looking intently into her eyes and she smiled, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

"I would not dream of inflicting such pain upon you," She said, matching my expression with her own. After a long moment she could no longer hold her laughter and it poured out of her, light and musical. I could not help but join her, feeling elated and happy. Such a simple feeling and yet one I was not used to experiencing.

I turned on my side to face her, pulling her body closer to mine. She touched her lips to mine, kissing me softly and sweetly. Our kiss was tender and unhurried, neither of us trying to control the other or pushing for anything more. She finally pulled back, moving to rest her head on my chest.

"Thank you for another magical night Eric," she said softly, her eyelids already heavy with sleep.

"It really was magical, but I had very little to do with it. Thank you for sharing your magic with me," I said, kissing her hair and lightly wrapping my arms around her.

"Mmmm…" was her response, already drifting into sleep, and I chuckled softly to myself. I lay there, holding her, thinking about our night and my conversation with Godric, until the sun finally pulled me to rest.

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_**Reviews are Inspiration**_


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you all! I'm humbled by your wonderful reviews and by all the new alerts and favorites I've received since I last posted. I am beyond thrilled that you seem to enjoy this story!

The wonderful **KLloyd **has agreed to help me with Swedish translations! That means you get your lemons with a sprinkling of svenska… tack så mycket **KLloyd** :)

To my wonderful content editor, **My Secret O**, who doesn't mind to share a brain with me and is also the fastest, brightest and greatest, Thank you! I do love you so :)

Charlaine Harris is the sole owner of the SVM; I'm just letting out some creative steam. Any references to the Gracious Plenty obviously do not belong to me…

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**Unexpected – Chapter 10**

The alarm on my cell phone went off; waking me up from the most restful night sleep I've had in ages. I opened my eyes to the perfect darkness of Eric's bedroom using the phone's display light to make my way to the bathroom.

All of the doors in Eric's apartment had been specially altered to block even the tiniest amount of light from getting in. I was not sure how the windows were treated to block sunlight so effectively. Although the bed was on the other side of the room and away from the door, I made sure the bathroom door was completely shut before I opened the heavy white curtains covering the windows in Eric's bathroom.

The bathroom was absolutely stunning. The floor was covered in light grey stone tiles and the walls were a warm shade of cream. There was a large claw foot bath in the corner, its exterior painted in matte black, accentuated by the glossy black finish of the ornate feet. Through massive glass doors a large shower stall was visible, tiled in glossy grey stone. The toilet stood next to a dark, nearly black, wooden vanity on top of which stood a bowl shaped sink with a long necked, curved faucet. A small, elegant shelving unit, in the same dark wood as the vanity, housed a stack of huge, fluffy, white towels and a plush grey tufted chair stood next to the bath.

I brushed my teeth and took a long, hot shower, letting the water, cascading from the enormous rain shower head, caress me while I played back everything that happened last night in my head. Eric, or someone who worked for him, had bought the entire white musk line from the body shop, and I luxuriated in the soft, delicate scent.

I reluctantly turned the water off and wrapped one of the soft, fluffy towels around me, using another, smaller towel to wrap around my head. After applying some moisturizer to my face and neck I finally pulled myself out of the paradise that was Eric's bathroom, tightly pulling the curtains on the windows shut before I returned to the bedroom.

I turned on the light next to the dresser and glanced in the direction of the bed, finding Eric's still body, neatly tucked under the covers in the exact same position as when I left for the shower. Even though I knew, from what Niall told me, that vampires were dead during the day I had never seen a sleeping vampire before. I moved closer to the bed, looking at Eric's serene expression and was surprised that it didn't feel weird or unnatural, he wasn't moving but his energy seemed to linger around him and he looked like he might wake up at any given moment.

I was too tired last night to try on the clothes Eric had bought for me, or even take a good look at them, so I decided to get dressed in the other room, the one Eric said belonged to Pam, so I could appreciate them in the light. I picked up the two bags Eric left on the dresser and my boots, which he neatly arranged on the floor next to it, and headed for Pam's room. I dropped the boots on the floor next to the vanity and moved to pull the heavy curtains open. Light streamed in to the room as I sat on the plush bench to examine the contents of the bags.

The first item I pulled out was a gorgeous, whisper pink, collarless blazer, then a black, tailored, one button jacket and a black cashmere sleeveless shell, gathered at the waist. Next there was a stone colored, soft jersey dress with cropped sleeves. It had a V-neck that was wrapped around at the waist, and ruching on the sides. At the bottom of the bag there was the most amazing pair of ink black, super skinny pants that I couldn't wait to try on. In the other bag there were two shoe boxes and a smaller bag filled with pink and black tissue paper. I loved the Black patent platform pumps from Pour la Victoire I found in one of the shoe boxes and I adored the light rose Peep-toe ankle boot from L.A.M.B in the other.

In the small bag I found a beautiful blush satin and black lace bra with matching panties. There was also a polka dot cashmere scarf that coordinated beautifully with the ankle boots and the blazer. I tried everything on, surprised and delighted that it all fit me beautifully. Eric had impeccable taste and was apparently very familiar with women's clothing and measurements. I had no idea under what circumstances he had acquired this knowledge, but I suppose you pick up all kinds of skills when you live as long as he has. I wasn't going to complain about him buying me amazing gifts. I accepted them gladly because I understood the sentiment behind them. That did not mean I couldn't buy him something as well, to repay his kindness. I decided to wear the dress as a tunic over the pants as it was quite short and added the black jacket, the pink shoes and the pink polka dot scarf to finish the outfit. I felt beautiful and smiled at my reflection in the large mirror.

I pulled the curtains shut and headed for the kitchen. I couldn't find tea or coffee, or even a kettle for that matter but I couldn't fault Eric for that. I did need some kind of energy boost though if I was going to attempt popping to the other side of the Atlantic. I opened the fridge and was delighted to discover a small tray of confections, apparently left over from last night. I smiled at the insane amount of food Eric ordered for me and quickly devoured a perfectly prepared Éclair vanille.

I placed my phone in the small purse I brought with me yesterday and took a deep breath, shutting my eyes and picturing myself standing in my Gran's living room. I felt a rush of power coursing through me and then I heard her voice calling from the kitchen. "Just taking the cookies out of the oven! Come give me a hug" I entered the kitchen just as she was laying the baking tray on the cooling rack and was instantly enveloped in her warm hug. She smelled of baked goods as always and I inhaled deeply holding on to her for a minute before letting go. We saw each other quite frequently with me coming to see her once a month and her popping over every few weeks but I still missed her very much. I loved my maternal grandparents but Gran was my friend and confidant. I could always tell her anything, knowing she would know just what to say.

"Sookie, it is wonderful to see you! I hope you are hungry!" I nodded, the divine smell of her cooking making my stomach growl and we both laughed at the sound. Because of the time difference it was only 6:oo in the morning here in Louisiana, so this was technically breakfast but my Gran always made sort of a brunch meal as a compromise between her time and mine. She woke up at 5:00 every morning so this wasn't too early for her.

"Is Grandpa joining us?" I asked, taking a seat at the kitchen table where we always ate when it was just us.

"No Honey, we were actually in Fairy all week. I came back yesterday so I could see you today but Fintan couldn't come with me since he had to deal with some urgent matters. He asked me to tell you how much he regrets missing you today, and that he will come see you in Paris soon."

"Ok, I would like that very much." It is very convenient to have Fae relatives when living so far away from home since they can come and visit without the hassle of long, Trans Atlantic flights.

My paternal grandparents are both half Fae. My grandmother, Adele Stackhouse, was born in 1840 in a small town called Bon Temps in northern Louisiana as a result of an affair her mother Eleanor had with a Fairy named Pyndar. Adele had no knowledge of her heritage until she met my grandfather.

My grandfather, Fintan Brigant, who was born, along with his twin brother Dermot, around 1340 in what would now be considered France, is the son of Niall Brigant, high prince of the fairies, and Marie-Helene who was apparently a very beautiful human woman that Niall fell in love with. My grandfather met my grandmother running in the woods behind her house and the rest is history I guess, they fell in love, married, and had two children, my father and my aunt Linda.

Gran started taking out plates and bowls from the fridge and oven filling the table with colorful and enticing dishes. Her cooking was a mixture of the southern food she grew up on and the French cuisine she immediately fell in love with when she and Fintan moved to France, shortly after they had gotten married. They lived there for almost a century before my father was born and they decided to return to the states splitting their time between Gran's ancestral home in Bon temps and Fairy. Aunt Linda was just as human as my father and lived in New Orleans, with her husband and her daughter Hadley. Hadley was Jason's age and we looked very much alike, only she was blond.

I knew better than to try and help Gran with the food, she preferred doing everything on her own, so I stayed seated while she finished setting the table and sat down in the chair across from me motioning for me to start eating.

"You look absolutely radiant Sookie, I can see that we have a lot to discuss" I shouldn't have been so surprised since Gran was very perceptive and could always tell when something was up with me, but she caught me off guard, as I was busy stuffing my face with her delicious food. She chuckled at my stunned expression.

"Now Child, there is no need for that, I am delighted to see you this happy. Won't you tell me what is it that put that glow on your face?" I swallowed the piece of pancake I was chewing on, wiping my mouth with my napkin.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Only to those who know you and love you, I think" She smiled at me and I grinned back at her, unable to contain my happiness.

"I met someone Gran, his name is Eric and he is smart, and funny. Oh, and incredibly handsome! He took me on the most wonderful date the day before yesterday…" I trailed off, not knowing how to proceed. I knew Gran would not judge me but I still felt awkward telling her I stayed over at Eric's the night before.

"Well, look at you! All starry eyed and glowing. He must be very special for you to fall in love with him so quickly." I opened my mouth to deny what she just said and closed it right back, realizing I couldn't. I had never been in love before, not really, and I had started thinking I just didn't have it in me. I was elated and terrified, not knowing how Eric felt about me. I knew he felt something, but I wasn't sure if he thought of us having a relationship beyond his two weeks in Paris.

"He is amazing Gran! I had never imagined meeting someone like him, but he is only in Paris for a short time, I don't know what to do," I said, shuffling the food on my plate.

"I wouldn't worry about that too much, Honey; these things have a way of working themselves out when two people really want to be together. What about your telepathy? How are you handling his thoughts?" I quickly took a bite from the delicious homemade Croissant to allow myself a few seconds to think about my answer and how to phrase it. I really didn't know how she would react to Eric being a vampire. She was very open- minded, but fairies were extremely cautious when it came to vampires, despite the centuries' long truce. I finished chewing and took a sip from my tea, taking a deep breath before answering her question.

"I cannot hear his thoughts Gran, and before you ask, it isn't because he is one of the Fae. Eric is a vampire." I steeled myself, hoping for the best but expecting the worse. Her face registered surprise and then something else I didn't quite understand, realization? Hope? It was gone so fast I couldn't be sure.

"I had always known you were unique Sookie and that your life would be unusual. If the fates chose him as the one worthy of your love then far be it from me to try and interfere."

"Are you disappointed with me?" I asked in a tiny voice, hesitantly looking up to see the soft expression on her face.

"You could never disappoint me Sookie, I only wish for you to be happy, and if Eric is the one for you then I am happy you found each other." I was so grateful for her acceptance I jumped off my chair to hug her.

"Thank you Gran! I am so glad you are not upset about this." I hugged her again before returning to my seat.

"You have nothing to thank me for Sookie, although I am not complaining about the extra hugs…" She smiled; her face lighting up and her eyes twinkling with joy.

"Now I understand that glow of yours though, I heard vampires are quite spectacular in bed, I guess the rumors are true then?" I wanted the ground to swallow me whole I was so embarrassed. Talking about sex with my Gran was not something I wanted to do. Ever. I decided to change the subject, simply smiling in response to her last sentence.

"Before I forget, Amelia needs your help. She desperately needs an ingredient for her final project and practically begged me to ask if you might be able to get one for her in Fairy? She made me promise to tell you in advance how much she appreciates any help you could offer" Gran was unimpressed with my tactics, scoffing at my blatant attempt at evasion.

""Very well dear, I do not wish to make you uncomfortable, what is it that she needs?"

"A dragon's scale…Is that something you can help her with?"

"Hmmm…It would require some negotiating, as they don't part with their scales easily…but they are quite partial to sweets, so I think it's safe to say I will be able to get one for her. Does she need a specific kind? Or color?"

"She didn't specify, but I will ask her and let you know. She said there's no rush so…"

"I am leaving for Fairy as soon as you leave so maybe you should call and ask her after you finish eating? That way I can bring it with me when we come to visit you in two weeks." My whole family, including my maternal grandparents, was coming to spend the holidays in my grandparents' villa at the Cote d'Azur. The French Riviera is actually very quiet and pleasant in winter, when it is not crowded with tourists and jet setters. Fairies don't actually celebrate Christmas but they do have a winter celebration around the winter solstice so we usually had a family celebration that included a little of everyone's traditions.

"Mm hmm…" I nodded, my mouth full of Gran's amazingly fluffy French toast.

"I visited Jason and Kate last week. Little Jamie called me Nana! I simply melted on the spot." Jason and Kate's little boy was just over one year old and had all of us wrapped around his very cute little finger. "Oh, that's so cute! I haven't seen him since his birthday party. I know they're joining us in the Villa after Christmas but I still want to send his presents over to Kate's parents' so he can have them on Christmas day. I know it's not about the gifts but I simply can't help myself when it comes to him…" Jason and Kate lived in Boston, not far from my parents. They were both lawyers and had actually met in court, when Kate was still a public defender. Kate was smart and had a wicked sense of humor. I could not understand hers or Jason's choice of profession but apparently the feeling was mutual. I adored little Jamie and tried to see him as often as possible, which wasn't as often as I would have wished.

"Do you still wish to help me decorate the house?"

"Of course I do! You know how much I love decorating the villa with you. Did you get the white decorations we were talking about last year?" We almost always spent the holidays in France and Gran and I always did the decorating ourselves, with the help of a little magic of course.

"Of course! When can I expect you then?"

"I have train tickets for the 18th." My smile faltered when I remembered Eric was also leaving on the 18th but I quickly pushed that depressing thought to the back of my mind for now.

After I helped Gran clean up the table and put away the staggering amounts of food remaining, I quickly rinsed the plates, setting them to dry by the sink and followed Gran into the living room.

I took out my phone and dialed Amelia. She answered after quite a few rings and I could tell by the background noise that she was in the market. "Hello?"

"Hi Ames! Do you have a minute?"

"Sure, but aren't you supposed to be at your Gran's?"

"I am, that's why I'm calling. She says she would love to help you with the dragon's scale she just needs to know what kind and color you need."

"Oh, put me on speaker phone so I can thank her!" I did and after Amelia thanked Gran profusely for her help they had a very interesting discussion on the different qualities of dragon scales. White dragons were apparently very rare, but thankfully Amelia needed a blue scale, which my Gran assured her was rather easy to come by.

"I will simply bake a very big tray of cookies and ask the friendly blue dragon that lives not far from Niall's palace for a scale. I'm sure he won't mind."

Amelia and I both laughed at the strange image of a dragon, who loves cookies, living on Niall's grounds. Even though I had heard many stories about Fairy I had never actually visited, since the portal will only allow full blooded fairies or those displaying fully developed Fae powers to pass through. I've been to the portal before, and it was magnificent but I couldn't wait to gain my full powers, if only for the chance to finally see Fairy.

"Thank you Adele! That would be great!"

"I am happy I can help Amelia. Sookie, I will be right back." Gran said and started heading in the direction of the spare bedroom. I turned the speaker off and held it to my ear again.

"Sookie? Are you still there?"

"I'm here Ames, just took you off the speaker phone."

"Don't think I haven't noticed you were not here this morning. I am making chicken with morels, would you like to come by for dinner?"

"I kind of already promised Eric I'd spend the evening with him but if you don't mind me bringing him with me I'd love to."

"Mind? I am dying to meet Tall, Blond and Sexy! How about 20:30? You bring the wine…and the blood." She added after a few seconds pause.

"See you then."

"Bye!"

"Bye!"

Just as I finished the conversation Gran came back, holding two gift boxes. One was large and flat, beautifully wrapped with a large red ribbon and the other was flat as well, though smaller, and wrapped just as beautifully.

"I was planning to give these to you for Christmas but I feel you can use them sooner." Sometimes Gran simply knows things. She's not really psychic but her intuition is very strong and I have never known her to be wrong. She handed me the boxes and I tentatively took them from her, admiring the beautiful red ribbons.

"Well, open them Dear," She said, her eyes bright with anticipation. I opened the large box, moving the tissue paper aside to reveal beautiful Prussian blue velvet. It was a vintage wiggle dress featuring a sweetheart strapless neckline and soft pleats around the thighs with a cascading bustle in the back.

"Oh, it's so beautiful! Thank you, Gran! I love it!"

"I am so glad Sookie, It was one of my favorites and I think it will look beautiful on you. Would you please try it on before opening the other box?" I nodded happily and went to the spare bedroom to change. The dress fit me so perfectly it was hard to believe it wasn't made for me. I guess I was more similar to Gran than I realized. Gran does not look so young, although she doesn't appear old either. It is hard to determine how old she is just from looking at her. Her hair is still dark and shiny; her face shows only very faint signs of ageing and her figure is feminine and graceful.

"Sookie! It's perfect!" Gran exclaimed as I returned to the living room. I picked up the smaller box looking to Gran for her approval to open it. She nodded enthusiastically and I lifted the top of the box, gasping at its content. On the black velvet lining the box, nestled a beautiful vintage gold necklace with a scalloped chain motif, culminating in an Art Nouveau flourish accented with a small diamond. I usually tended to wear small and delicate jewelry so I was apprehensive at first at the weight and feel of the chain. Gran must have sensed my doubts since she reached for the chain, a knowing smile playing on her lips.

"May I?" she asked and I nodded, handing her the necklace. She quickly clasped it around my neck and led me to the hall, where a large floor length mirror adorned the wall.

The necklace looked so…regal and elegant with the dress, and I looked like a princess. The dress hugged my curves, showcasing my hourglass figure yet maintaining a very elegant, lady-like feel.

"Oh, Gran…I have no idea where I might wear something this beautiful to, but thank you! I feel like a princess!"

"You are a princess Sookie, a very beautiful, smart and talented princess." I hugged her tightly, and kissed her cheek softly.

"I love you Gran."

"I love you too Sookie, now go get changed before you make me cry." I changed back into the clothes Eric had gotten for me and carefully returned the dress and the necklace to their boxes. When I returned to the living room Gran gave me a large bag for the boxes into which she proceeded to load an obscene amount of baked goods. I loved her baking so I wasn't about to complain.

We sat down and watched our favorite show on HGTV together and by the time it ended it was time for me to go. I hugged Gran, thanking her again for the amazing gifts and she hugged me back waving my thanks away. Spending time with Gran always makes me happy and today was no different but at the same time I felt a little anxious, like something was missing. I realized I was missing Eric and couldn't believe I felt that way already. Was that normal? Surely it wasn't.

I waved goodbye one last time with my free hand and closed my eyes, focusing my mind and my energy and picturing myself standing in my apartment. I couldn't pop straight to Eric's since I could only do long distance popping to one of my 'homes'. My magic rushed through me, and a second later I was standing in my living room in Paris. I put the bag on the table, quickly pulling a few things from the closet and drawers and stuffing them in my favorite black tote. I focused again and popped myself into Eric's living room. I decided against popping straight into his bedroom since I wasn't sure how he would react to a Fairy popping in if he just woke up and I wasn't keen on finding out.

I walked into the bedroom, leaving my bag, purse and coat on the large chair near the door and proceeded towards the bed. Eric's eyes opened just as I reached the bed and he inhaled deeply. "In the shower, now" he said, his voice sounding urgent as he took off my clothes so quickly I felt dizzy and carried me into the bathroom. He set me on the plush chair next to the bath while he adjusted the water temperature and I noticed he was shaking.

"Eric! What's wrong?" I asked as he lifted me again and pushed me gently into the shower stall, immediately lathering my body with soap. Only then did he answer my question.

"The Fairy scent on you was so strong I did not know how long I could control myself and I did not want to hurt you," He said, smiling.

"I'm sorry, I should have thought of that…" I looked down at the floor, embarrassed.

"You have nothing to be sorry for älskade, I am sorry if I scared you." I raised my head back up to look at him, delighted by his soft tone and words.

"You didn't scare me, I was worried about you, I am surprised that you were able to control yourself, I can't imagine how strong the scent was, with me spending hours at my Gran's house and then using all that magic to return here. It must have been overwhelming."

"It was, and I too am surprised that I managed to resist my instincts. It seems that my regard for you is stronger than my vampire nature." He traced my lips with his fingers almost reverently before pouring some divine smelling shampoo in his hand and turning me around so that I was facing away from him. He slowly and methodically shampooed my hair, massaging my scalp with his talented fingers. He washed my hair thoroughly before liberally applying conditioner, allowing it to work for a few minutes while he massaged my whole body with a musk scented sugar scrub making it tingle. He rinsed the conditioner out of my hair, not an easy feat considering how long and full my hair is and then lathered my whole body again with the musk shower gel. I lifted my hands to his shoulders, and he allowed me to push him into a sitting position on the wide stone bench. I poured shampoo into my hand and slowly massaged his hair and scalp. He closed his eyes, clearly enjoying my touch and I wondered when was the last time he allowed someone to take care of him. I carefully washed the shampoo out of his beautiful golden hair leaving the conditioner in his hair, the same as he did for me, while I lathered my hands with soap, running my hands all over his perfect, hard and sculpted body. His cock twitched as I ran my soapy hand up and down his length but I was persistent on finishing what I started so I motioned for him to stand up and proceeded to wash him until his was not only the world's best looking ass but also the cleanest. I then washed his legs and feet, getting him to sit again so I could wash the conditioner out of his hair. When I finished he got up to turn the water off, and got out of the shower at vampire speed returning in a flash with two fresh fluffy and huge towels and one smaller one, for my head. I wondered briefly who was doing all the laundry that he must generate but quickly forgot all about it as Eric picked me up in his arms and carried me to the bedroom.

He gently laid me on the huge bed, rolling me to the side and pulling my towel away from my body, dropping it on the floor. His towel was long gone by the time I removed the towel from my head dropping it on top of the other one. I lay back down, propping myself on my elbows. The bathroom door was open allowing a small amount of light to filter into the dark bedroom. My breath caught in my throat at the sight of Eric, standing at the foot of the bed, tiny droplets of water making their way down his chest towards what one of my favorite fictional characters referred to as a gracious plenty. He moved, slowly, gracefully, to lie next to me and I turned on my side to face him.

"I missed you today," I said, my voice barely louder than a whisper. He seemed delighted with my words, a joyous smile lighting up his face before he cupped my face gently in his hands and kissed me, so soft and tender that I felt tears spring into my eyes. I moved closer, pouring my overwhelming emotions into the kiss. He moaned when I gently sucked his lower lip into my mouth and his right hand moved down to rest at the small of my back while the other tangled in my hair. I kissed him over and over, barely stopping to breathe. Never in my life had I wanted anyone or anything as much. I had never loved before, not like this, and I was so full of emotion I feared I might explode. I couldn't tell him, I was not brave enough for that, but I could show him how I felt. I rested my hand against his chest pushing gently and he allowed me to roll him onto his back. I moved to close the small gap between our bodies, unable to stay away even for a second. I pulled myself up so I could reach his face, placing delicate kisses on his right temple, eyebrow and eyelid and then his left eyelid, eyebrow and temple, down the bridge of his nose and further down on his chin. I moved to nibble on his earlobe licking my way down his neck. His skin smelled and tasted so good I couldn't help but bite him a little making him groan in response. When I slid my mouth further down to suck on his nipple he gripped the covers digging his fingers into the bed. I pulled myself back up until I could feel the tip of Eric's cock touching my wet folds and then I pushed down, slowly lowering myself over his long, hard length. I placed my hands on his chest pushing my body up into a sitting position and fully enveloping him inside me. I let out a low moan marveling at how perfectly we fit together, as if we were made for each other.

"Så fulländad," Eric whispered, bringing his hands up to my ass and I rolled my hips against him. I couldn't hold still any longer so I rolled my hips again, rocking against his body. Eric lifted me up and I moaned loudly, forcefully pushing myself back down. He did it again, and again driving me so wild with pleasure I could no longer hold myself up. Eric sat up, supporting me in his arms as he folded his legs underneath him, rising to rest on his knees. My legs wrapped around him and my hands tangled in his hair when he drew me in for a deep, passionate kiss. He pulled away resting his forehead against mine as he looked down to where our bodies were joined. He moved me up and down his cock and I felt my muscles pulsing around him. My moans became louder and louder and I felt the heat of my magic rising inside me, spreading from my heart to fill my body until it spilled out, lighting the room, its colors blending and swirling on the ceiling and walls. I felt a pull inside me, an urge to be closer to Eric, and I bent down and ran my tongue along his neck biting him hard and drawing his blood into my mouth. He roared my name before sinking his fangs into my neck and I screamed his name as I exploded around him. We held onto each other tightly, gently riding out our mutual pleasure. Eric's eyes never left mine as he lowered us to lie on the bed and I felt like I was staring into his soul.

"Tack, min älskade," He said quietly, "Every time I think I have reached an impossible new height of pleasure; you surprise me by surpassing it." My magic was still swirling around us and Eric looked at the ceiling laughing. "Amazing, absolutely amazing!" The open, unguarded expression on his face was beyond beautiful and I felt my heart swell at the sight. I pressed my lips into his neck, kissing the already healed spot where I had bitten him and silently mouthed the words that I couldn't bring myself to say.

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Here are the translations from Swedish, courtesy of **KLloyd**:

Älskade - beloved

Så fulländad - so perfect

Tack, min älskade - thank you, (my) beloved

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	11. Chapter 11

Hey! I owe you all an apology for making you wait this long for an update, if any of you are still reading that is… My real life is sometimes hectic although I'm working on changing that. I also have to confess that I was not 100% satisfied with chapter 10 and kind of lost my will to write because it didn't get many reviews…

I will not promise to update twice a week from now on because that is probably not going to happen…but I will do my best to update frequently…your reviews, even when they are short, fuel my creativity so even though I hate to ask…Please review :)

Even more than always I owe a huge thank you to my wonderful, amazingly supportive, lovable editor, **My Secret O**, you always know what to say…

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**Unexpected Chapter 11**

When my magic finally stopped swirling around us I sat up suddenly, gasping at the realization of what I had done.

"Eric, I'm so sorry I bit you like that!" I buried my face in my hands, mortified.

"Sorry? You have nothing to be sorry for Lover; I had already offered you my blood and I am beyond pleased that you accepted my offer. I hope it was as pleasurable for you as it was for me." I slowly lifted my head to look at him, and he sat up and kissed me softly, and I relaxed against him, feeling relieved and slightly silly for my dramatic reaction.

"I can feel your emotions now to some extent; I hope that does not make you regret biting me." He said after a few seconds of silence.

"I can't say that I'm totally comfortable with the idea, it will take some getting used to, but I don't regret it. I felt as if your blood was calling out to me driving me to bite you, but I knew what I was doing and I thoroughly enjoyed it." I lowered my eyes again, blushing slightly.

"That is exactly how I feel about your blood. Perhaps your magic picked up on that somehow, although I had never heard of anything similar."

"I don't feel completely comfortable asking Niall about it but I can ask Claudine, my cousin and fairy godmother."

"As you wish, Lover" There was nothing more we could learn about my behavior now and I was still feeling a little embarrassed so I changed the subject.

"I talked to Amelia when I was at my Gran's; she invited us over for dinner…" I paused, unsure how Eric would feel about her invitation. "Would you like to go?"

"I would be honored" he smiled and I kissed him, delighted with his answer.

"Did you think I would refuse?" he asked in amusement.

"I wasn't sure if you would be interested in doing something so…mundane"

"It had been over a century since I last visited a human home so this is hardly mundane for me." I laughed and shook my head at his statement.

"We have some time before we need to leave, what would you like to do? We can't just stay in bed" I said, pulling the duvet up to cover myself.

It turned out that we could. I discovered Eric really liked to cuddle, and since I had no objections, that's exactly what we did for the next few hours.

When we finally got out of bed we dressed casually; both of us opting for jeans and a sweater. Eric suggested we fly there and I gladly accepted, wrapping myself in my coat and adding a warm scarf for good measure. I packed up my things, including all of Eric's generous gifts and Eric insisted on carrying my bag for me. Since he was going to carry me with it, it didn't really matter and I actually appreciated the gesture. We went out and walked into a dark corner of the _Place des Vosges. _Eric lifted me in his arms and I held on tight, burying my face against his chest. We stopped at the _Cave_ that Amelia and I visited regularly (French wine shop – pronounced similar to love) and bought a nice bottle of wine and a boutique brand of blood for Eric. I knocked on Amelia's door a few minutes after 20:30 feeling slightly anxious.

I really, really, wanted Amelia and Eric to get along.

"I will be on my best behavior" He whispered in my ear as we heard Amelia approaching the door.

"It's not you I'm worried about" I whispered back just as the door opened.

Amelia stared at Eric for a few seconds before shaking herself out of her trance and moving to the side to allow us in.

"Won't you please come in?" she asked and we both stepped into the apartment.

"Amelia Broadway, this is Eric Northman." I made the formal introductions and Amelia, who must have been reading up on vampire etiquette, nodded her head at Eric who nodded back, smiling.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Amelia. Thank you for inviting us."

"It is not often that Sookie likes someone enough to go on a second date with them, I had to see what all the fuss was about…" Amelia was a very straightforward person, which was something I really liked about her, most of the time at least, so as embarrassing as it was I couldn't get mad at her since I knew she didn't mean to embarrass me. Eric flashed his dazzling smile at me. It was playful but not smug so I decided to get over my urge to hide under the sofa and just smile back.

"Dinner will be ready in two minutes; why don't you take a seat while I finish up in the kitchen"

"Can I help?" I asked.

"No need, I'm just about done. You can pour us all a drink if you like" Amelia said and went back to the stove where she was reducing her sauce by the look of things. Amelia's apartment was bigger than mine and included a separate bedroom and a large studio space that she used as her "lab". I opened the wine and Eric's blood filling the long stem glasses Amelia had set on the table.

"You are very talented" Eric said and I stared at him, truly baffled. I knew how to open a bottle of wine but that was hardly a rare talent. He laughed at my expression, gesturing around the apartment with his hands.

"This is your work isn't it?"

"Oh, you mean the décor…yes it is and thank you, but how did you know? It doesn't look anything like my place"

"You have a very unique style; while it is clearly a reflection of Amelia's tastes and personality, this place feels like you…"

I didn't know what to say to that, I wasn't used to receiving compliments on my designs, from someone outside my family that is, so I took his hand and led him to the table instead.

The food looked and smelled amazing and I discovered I was hungry in spite of the huge brunch I had at Gran's.

"Eric, I hope the food is not bothering you, I know that vampires are not fond of the smell of food" I was surprised at Amelia's comment since Eric didn't seem bothered at the least by my eating, in fact, I would say he enjoyed watching me eat (and feeding me…) if the past few days were any indication.

"Not at all Amelia, it is true that younger vampires often find it disturbing to watch humans eat but I am far from young…and though I cannot compliment you on its taste, dinner really does smell wonderful."

"I had no idea the Vikings had such good manners, you're not just a pretty face are you? I am beginning to see why Sookie likes you so much."

Ames totally ignored the murderous look I was giving her choosing that moment to take a large bite of chicken into her mouth.

"Why thank you Amelia, I am also pleasantly surprised, I usually find witches to be insufferable, but you are not so bad…for a witch that is."

"Careful Eric, you don't want to upset her or she might turn you into a cat." I smiled angelically at Ames, knowing how much she hated being reminded of Bob.

"Not fair Sook, I only did it once and you know it…"

"Now that sounds like an interesting story…" Eric smiled, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Please Ames, it's a great story!" I smiled at her and she relented, smiling back at me.

"Ok, Ok. I was 17 and just beginning my training with my first mentor, Octavia. Bob was the nerdy boy next door and my boyfriend. I was thinking about 'doing it' and wanted it to be very special so I decided to spice things up with some magic."

Amelia stopped to take a sip from her wine and then continued.

"I searched the spell book for a spell I thought I could handle successfully, deciding on a transformation spell since it had a very visible effect."

"Just out of curiosity, where did you plan to 'do it'" Eric asked, amusement evident on his face.

"Bob's parents were leaving for a 3 day conference which meant we had the house to ourselves. I gathered the necessary ingredients and had everything ready.

"Without going into too much detail let's just say that instead of me turning into a cat for a few minutes I had turned Bob into one and couldn't undo what I had done." I was already laughing since I always found this story hilarious and Eric wasn't far behind me.

"I suppose that was not easy for you…" Eric said, trying to keep a straight face.

"It wasn't; I hardly ate nor slept during the next two days, trying to reverse the spell on my own, but I couldn't. Eventually I had no choice but to call Octavia and tell her what happened. She was furious with me for my irresponsible use of magic but luckily agreed to help me undo the spell before Bob's Parents returned. Octavia also made sure Bob will not remember his time as a cat."

"Since you became a witch I suppose she was still willing to teach you?" Eric asked Amelia, sounding genuinely interested.

"She said that the only reason she was still willing to be my mentor even though I had broken the rules was that the magic I performed was very strong and she couldn't allow my talent to go to waste. I think she thought I had learned my lesson."

"So, what happened to Bob?" Eric asked grinning again. I mentally added 'great sense of humor' to his list of qualities.

"We dated for a few more months. He was back to his old self except for a strange purr he sometimes made in his sleep and a new found fondness for canned tuna. Last I heard he was teaching high school physics in Baltimore."

"Ugh, I hate Baltimore" Eric said with disgust.

"Why?" I asked, curious to know what prompted that unexpected statement.

"It was there that I lost a bet I made with Pam, a very rare occasion, and had to agree to participate in her foray into 80's avant-garde fashion. Neon colors, spandex and shoulder pads featured prominently in my wardrobe that year."

Imagining Eric in bright spandex threw me into a fit of giggles.

"What was the bet about?" Amelia asked in amusement.

"'Dallas' actually. I was wrong about who shot J.R" Eric smiled sheepishly as we both burst out laughing.

"You wouldn't happen to have pictures would you?" I grinned at him.

"As a matter of fact I do, I think I even kept a pair of pink and turquoise shorts for _special occasions. _Perhaps you would like to see them sometime?"

He focused his gaze on me and the heat in his icy blue eyes melted something deep inside me. I never thought of myself as a highly sexual person, unlike some of my friends…but the way Eric made me feel just by looking at me, made me think that perhaps I simply hadn't met the right person until now.

As it turns out I was nervous for nothing. Amelia and Eric seemed to like each other and conversation flowed easily. By the time we were finishing up the delicious _pot de Crème_ Amelia had made for desert it was getting late, in human standards at least. I helped Amelia clear the table, laughing when she deliberately urged me mentally to "go have some mind blowing sex".

Eric and I both thanked Amelia for the wonderful evening and I gave her a big hug promising to talk to her soon.

I unlocked the door to my apartment and Eric followed me inside closing the door behind him and capturing my lips with his in one smooth motion. His fingers caressed my neck, tangling in my hair.

"You are so beautiful Lover, so soft and alluring. Would you come home with me?" He whispered in my ear in a voice that went straight to my panties.

I was practically shaking with need and didn't understand why Eric wanted to wait until we reached his place to finish what we'd started.

Sensing my confusion he continued "I want to make love to you until dawn and then have you fall asleep in my arms. I can't do that here."

A lump formed in my throat and I nodded, struggling to regain control of my voice.

"Ok, let me just pack a few things for tomorrow." I said, making my way to the closet and stuffing a few items of clothes and a small toiletry bag into a large pink tote.

"My apartment is close to the university so we would have some time together before class tomorrow" he said, appealing to my logic as if I needed any more convincing…

I closed the distance between us and lifted my hand to caress his cheek.

"Do you always get what you want?" I asked softly.

He smirked, kissing the palm of my hand "More often than not…but I am rarely as happy about it as I am now."

We flew back to Place des Vosges landing just outside Eric's building. Once in the apartment Eric quickly discarded his sweater while I took off my coat and shoes.

"Would you like something to drink? Are you hungry?" He asked and smiled when I shook my head no.

Literally sweeping me off my feet he carried me to the bedroom where he gently set me down on the bed. Eric moved across the room to light the fire in the huge fireplace and I enjoyed watching him rearrange the logs and kindling. The warm scent of firewood filled the room as the fire sprang to life and Eric disappeared in the closet for a second, returning with a large soft blanket he spread on the carpet in front of the fire.

"Care to join me?" He asked, lying down on the blanket. The fire washed his pale skin in a golden light accentuating his lithe form. I felt breathless and nearly floated from the bed to the blanket.

I sat down next to him and he softly pulled me down to lie beside him. He moved my hair aside and kissed the spot behind my ear sending shivers down my spine. His fingers pulled on the v- neck of my sweater, leisurely revealing and caressing my shoulder and neck.

I slowly ran my fingers down his chest and abdomen, kissing and nibbling at his neck. Eric pushed my sweater up brushing my nipples with his fingers and I lifted my hands to allow him to remove it completely. Eric pushed my bra straps down, kissing my shoulder, my arm, the soft skin on the inside of my elbow, my wrist and my fingers. His fingers painted burning trails down my stomach peeling my jeans off and throwing them to the side. Eric kissed his way up my legs somehow managing to remove his jeans at the same time. He moved further up my body sending my bra flying to join the rest of our clothes. I arched my back when his tongue touched my nipple trailing around it before he covered it with his mouth. His hand slid between my legs, brushing ever so softly against my clit through the thin layer of fabric. I moaned and Eric moved to lick and tease my other nipple while his fingers drew slow, small circles around my clit, rubbing it gently. I barely registered his movement before I felt his cool breath against my soaking wet panties.

I have no idea what happened to them but the next second they were gone and I felt Eric's tongue where I needed it most. I was mewling and writhing under his mouth, the deep rumble in his chest driving me wild with need. With just a few strokes of his long fingers inside me I was coming, sighing his name as I did. The flames in the fireplace erupted into yellow and pink flares and the carpet around us bloomed into a field of sweet scented, colorful tiny flowers. Once the waves of my pleasure had subsided, Eric pulled his fingers out of me licking them with an appreciative groan. When he moved to position himself between my thighs a shiver of anticipation ran through me and I pulled him down kissing him deeply. He entered me slowly, reverently, his eyes never leaving mine and I felt lightheaded with pleasure and emotion that I was barely able to contain. I reveled in the feeling of his cock inside me, filling me completely.

Eric started moving in and out and I pushed my thighs against his body, welcoming the jolts of delight that passed through me with every stroke. I closed my eyes and completely surrendered myself to our joint rhythmic motion. After a while Eric's motions became faster and harder and I suddenly became aware that the loud cries of pleasure filling the room were emanating from me. The feeling of the entire length of Eric's cock sliding in and out of me and his body rubbing against my nipples drove me over the edge again and I screamed his name as I felt another orgasm erupt from within me. My pussy closed tightly around him and I heard a low primal grunt coming from Eric. He picked up the pace and started to pound into me almost violently. I ran my nails down his back which seemed to encourage him further. He sank his fangs into my breast as he came and I felt myself falling apart as I came again. When I opened my eyes the room was transformed. A soft pink light flooded the room causing the tiny flowers surrounding us to spring into full bloom opening their petals to reveal a delicate tear drop pearl nestled within each flower. The ceiling was covered with a thick layer of soft, fluffy looking purple clouds and the air was fresh and fragrant as if we were outside in the woods. I couldn't resist the urge to touch the flowers and was slightly startled to discover they were real, as in corporeal. I plucked a soft pink pearl out of one of the flowers staring at it in amazement. Eric appeared to be just as surprised as I was, plucking a deep blue pearl out of its petals and carefully examining it.

"This is incredible; I have never seen nor heard of anything like it."

Little by little my magic seemed to dissipate and the room returned to its normal configuration. The two pearls however did not disappear with the rest and remained nestled on top of the blanket.

"Have you ever been in love?" I asked, the question escaping me before I could censure myself.

"In my human life I grew to love my wife but I was not in love with her. After I became vampire I learned to suppress and control my emotions. Love is a very dangerous emotion for a vampire."

We were both silent for a moment until Eric asked "What about you?"

"I used to think I wasn't capable of falling in love. Everyone around me seemed to but I never managed to lose my heart to anyone."

I was aware that Eric's answer was a little vague but then so was mine. I wanted to tell him how I felt but I was afraid. It was possible that he felt the same way but if he didn't I wasn't prepared to deal with it yet. So I kissed him instead and we made love, since that's what it was for me even if the words hadn't been said, until the approaching dawn drove us both to exhaustion and I fell asleep with my head on Eric's beautiful marble chest.

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**_Reviews are inspiration :)_**


	12. Chapter 12

I am beyond grateful for the wonderful response I got to chapter 11! Thank you so much for all your encouraging reviews and to those of you who have recently started reading and added Unexpected to their alerts and favorites – welcome and thank you!

My amazing, patient, dedicated and sweet editor, **My Secret O, **deserves much more than my eternal gratitude but alas that will have to suffice….

Charlaine Harris is the sole owner of the SVM; I'm just meddling with her progeny.

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Warmth.

Sweet, intoxicating scent.

Soft, smooth skin.

A steady heart beat.

Emotions swirling around, happiness, contentment, love…

I opened my eyes, a smile forming on my lips.

"Lover?" I said softly, not wishing to startle her out of her reverie. She was lying beside me, her legs entwined with mine and her soft breath fanning across my chest.

"Eric!" I could hear the delight in her voice echoing what I felt in her blood.

"Waking up with you is a pleasure I could never have anticipated and one I could easily get accustomed to…" I said, caressing her cheek and tracing my fingers along her jaw line.

She kissed my fingers and I moved to bury my face in the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply. Heat was radiating from her and the heady scent of our coupling still lingered all around us. I licked the delicate skin around her ear, lightly nibbling on her earlobe and she moaned softly. I pressed my lips against her pulse point, feeling her sweet, delicious life force rushing through her veins. I slowly made my way down her neck and clavicle to taste the perfect pink buds of her luscious breasts. I sucked her nipple gently, rolling it in my mouth.

"Mmmm…" Sookie's soft moans caressed my ears as I moved to her other breast, reveling in the taste of her skin.

I blew softly on her now wet nipples causing them to harden even more as I ran my tongue along the soft curve under each creamy, round globe. I spread my fingers across her ribs, trailing them down, committing the topography of her body to memory. I slid down the bed running my hands down Sookie's legs, spreading her knees and settling my head between her thighs. I slowly ran my tongue across the silky skin of her inner thigh, skimming her folds in an upward motion. Sookie gasped, her fingers tangling in my hair. I flattened my tongue and ran it very lightly across her clit making her moan sweetly. I repeated the same motion several times, slowly increasing the pressure and speed of my movement. I drew my tongue along her slit spreading her lips and exposing the little button of flesh nestled at the top. Sookie writhed underneath me so I moved my hand to her stomach, anchoring her in place.

I flicked my tongue over her clit, making her gasp again. I slid a finger inside her, enjoying the feel of her soft flesh tightening around it. Adding another finger, I slowly pushed in and out of her hot, tight pussy, sucking and licking her clit until I could feel her heart racing frantically, her breathing labored. With the tip of my middle finger I flicked the spot deep inside her just as I slid my fangs into her soft, fragrant skin.

"OH, Oh Eric, yes…Ahh" Her delicious blood flooded my mouth as her body stilled, tightening and convulsing around my fingers.

"Mmm…" I licked my lips and fingers dipping my tongue inside Sookie's sweet pussy, tasting her pleasure.

"More?" I asked, looking up into her stormy blue eyes. She nodded and I picked her up easily, carrying her into the bathroom. She wrapped her legs around my waist and I allowed the water to wash over us as I buried myself inside her warm, inviting body. I sighed, feeling strangely complete and marveling at the way our bodies fit together so perfectly. I could feel my emotions echoed in Sookie's and I kissed her, pouring everything that I felt into the kiss. When I pulled back slightly, allowing Sookie to breathe, her eyes were glowing with an inner fire.

"Fuck me…" she whispered, capturing her lower lip between her teeth. I slammed into her, knocking the air out of her tight little body. I fucked her for what felt like forever, unable to satiate the wild hunger and need I saw reflected in her eyes. The sounds of our pleasure echoed off the walls and ceiling as I felt her tightening around me, pulling me with her into bliss. The water from the shower head seemed to change its scent, suddenly smelling of earth and something else I couldn't quite pinpoint. A gust of wind blew across us just as loud thunder seemed to roll in the distance. The shower stall was illuminated by a flash of lightning and the tiles appeared to fade into darkness. The wall Sookie had been leaning on all but disappeared. I held her closely as the wind and rain whipped all around us. I moved in the direction of what I knew to be the door of the shower stall and into the normal bathroom lighting. The magical storm seemed to be dissipating behind the glass doors.

"That was…intense…" Sookie said as I set her on the counter.

"Yes, yes it was" I said, my arms circling her slender waist.

"Eric?" She asked shyly.

"Yes?"

"I need some privacy…" her voice was barely a whisper against my chest.

"Of course lover, I apologize," I said kissing her cheek softly and grabbing a clean towel from the rack before retreating into the bedroom.

I toweled myself dry, combing my hair and tying it back. What just happened was different than any magic I have ever witnessed or experienced. The magic storm really was intense, and I needed to learn more about it. I was not thrilled about alerting Niall to my relationship with his great-granddaughter but he was the only one who might be able to explain this. I would discuss it with Sookie later and we would decide together how to proceed.

Sookie came into the bedroom wrapped in a large bath robe. Her hair was up in a loose bun at the crown of her head making her neck look absolutely edible.

I dressed quickly in navy slacks, a white button down shirt and a dark grey sweater, a dark grey jacket, black shoes and a black belt. Sookie wore a dark grey knit dress over black leggings with black knee high boots and a black cashmere jacket. I watched her dress, lounging in the large chair next to the fireplace while Sookie put the finishing touches on her outfit.

"You are absolutely stunning lover" I said when she turned to face me. A smile of pure delight lit her face as she gracefully thanked me.

"You must be hungry, come, I will fix you something to eat." I said rising from the chair. She raised an eyebrow at my offer but followed me to the kitchen where I bade her to sit at the counter while I prepared her meal.

"Don't look so surprised" I said, smiling at her expression.

"I can't help it…if someone told me a week ago that a 1,000 year old vampire would be cooking for me I would have laughed at their ridiculousness. But why would you bother to learn how to cook, or have the ingredients in your kitchen for that matter?"

"I had my assistant stock the kitchen with everything I thought you might like or need. As for knowing how to cook, it is not a common skill amongst vampires but I am not a common vampire. I believe that to lose touch with human culture is to let the world pass you by. It is the reason some vampires lose the will to exist after a few centuries when they no longer feel connected to anything."

"Very well, chef Northman, can you make me a sandwich?" she asked, smiling.

"But of course, Mademoiselle Brigant" I said in my best faux French accent. Sookie laughed joyously and I couldn't help but laugh with her.

I quickly put together a chicken salad sandwich plating it with a few cherry tomatoes and olives. I arranged some fruit on a large plate, adding a few pieces of chocolate and poured Sookie a large glass of cold water.

"Thank you Eric, this looks lovely!" She said as I set everything before her on the counter.

"You're welcome älskade, I hope it tastes good as well."

"Mhmm…" she said after taking a bite and I laughed again, thoroughly enjoying watching her eat.

"Eric? Do you have plans after class tonight?" she asked shyly.

"None that do not include you, lover, what did you have in mind?" a beautiful smile spread on her lips. She was clearly pleased that I had no wish to be away from her.

"Have you ever been to the _Parc des Buttes Chaumont?"_

"I have, but it was a very long time ago, when the park was being built."

"So it is definitely time for you to visit again then."

"I suppose it is." I smiled at her and she leaned closer kissing me sweetly before she broke away, picking a piece of white chocolate off the plate and putting it in her mouth. I leaned forward, capturing her lips with mine, tasting the sweetness in her mouth.

"Mmm, sweet." I said, licking my lips.

"Can you taste food?" she asked, curiosity evident in her voice.

"Not directly, but I can taste the sweetness of the chocolate in your saliva. It enhances your natural sweetness."

We should probably get going; you don't want to be late for class, Professor…" She said, grinning.

"Very well, _Mademoiselle Brigant_, let us leave then." I said keeping my expression serious and my voice formal.

Sookie's beautiful laughter filled my ears as I lifted her off the chair, holding her in my arms. I did not want this to end when I returned to the states. I was happier than I have been in a very long time, perhaps ever. I knew she was young, and that her family would probably object, but the pure joy I was feeling from her made me hope she felt the same about me.

It was getting late so I reluctantly let her go so she could pick up her coat and bag, and we made our way out of the apartment.

I opened the car door for Sookie, helping her in before I moved to the driver's side. The short drive to the 5th passed in comfortable silence while I went over today's lesson in my head.

"We can't go in together…" Sookie said as we arrived.

"Are you ashamed of me Sookie?" I teased her.

"No, I just prefer not to make everyone in that class insanely jealous."

"Jealous of me for winning your affection?" I asked, smirking at her.

"No, jealous of me for…you know what for." She answered, realizing that I was teasing her.

"Of course lover, we can enter separately if that is your wish." I touched my lips to hers lingering a few seconds before I moved back allowing her to proceed into the building without me.

I waited a minute before I followed her in, walking leisurely up the steps and making my way to the third floor.

Everyone was already seated when I made my way to the small stage at the front of the room. Sookie was sitting up front in the same seat she was in last time, her bag nestled on the empty chair beside her.

"Good evening. Before we begin I would like to explain the outline of this seminar as I see it. Tonight and for the rest of the week I will be sharing my personal history with you, leaving time at the end of each meeting for questions. Next week will be devoted to discussion and I will do my best to shed light on any specific questions you might have regarding places and periods that I have personal knowledge of. I do not presume to have simple answers to complicated historical and historiographical questions and debates but I will do my best to at least offer a contemporary point of view that will perhaps provide new material and new questions that you as historians might want to research further."

I looked around the room, finally letting my eyes rest on Sookie.

"After I was made vampire I left my human life behind. In the beginning, we were constantly on the move, trying to stay inconspicuous while I learned the skills required for survival. For more than half a century we traveled the European continent, while I trained and studied: martial arts, languages, business and politics, history. When I was ready we left for the British Isles. William, duke of Normandy, was setting sail for England and we decided to join him and take part in the invasion. I could 'blend in' amongst the Normans, descendants of my kin as they were and the trip was short enough for us to stow away in storage crates without running the risk of being exposed.

"Having conquered England, and earning himself a place in History William became king and we were amongst his closest confidants. After he became king, William replaced most of the old English aristocracy with his loyal continental supporters, expropriating and redistributing land as he saw fit. The king generously bestowed upon Godric and me titles and land and we traveled with the court for a long time. We had visited our properties periodically but spent most of our time in court. Eventually, rumors about our never-changing appearances began to circulate around us and we decided it was time to move on. We pretended Godric had fallen ill and needed to retire to our country estate for health reasons. Since I was supposedly his older brother and only relative, I had to go with him since he was too ill to care for himself. Since hardly anyone had ever seen us in those parts we could stay there for a while longer without raising suspicion. We spent the next decade in relative seclusion, pretending that Godric's illness prevented him from moving about while we quietly sold off our assets. The land itself officially belonged to the king so we could not sell it but we still managed to accumulate a large fortune.

"An outbreak of sickness amongst the villagers provided us with the perfect opportunity to disappear. We gathered our most precious belongings and our large fortune and hid them before we both pretended to fall ill, staging our deaths. In cases of infectious disease, burial was immediate for fear of the dead further infecting the living so we were not worried that our 'bodies' would be left out in the sun. As soon as it was safe to come out of the ground we left our temporary resting place, stopping to retrieve our luggage before heading out in the direction of Ireland.

"Since I want to leave time for your questions I'll stop here."

A few hands were already up in the air so I nodded at a guy sitting in the far back, signaling that he could ask his question.

"Are you in the Domesday book?" He asked and I looked around the room seeing quite a few faces with question marks written all over them.

"For those of you who are not well versed in English or medieval history, the Domesday book is a record of a land and property survey completed in 1086 which provides a detailed account of the propertied classes in England and Wales. To answer the question, I do not appear in the book since I left England a few years before the survey was conducted."

A rather plain looking young woman was raising her hand timidly and I nodded at her to proceed.

"Environmental historians often refer to the period you were discussing as the medieval warm period since it is believed to have had the highest average temperatures prior to the 20th century. In your personal experience was there truly a marked difference in climate between this period and the one that followed?"

"I can only estimate about Europe since my travels in this period did not extend beyond it, but I would say that the period between the 10th and 12th centuries was somewhat warmer than its successor. It was generally a period of mild climate leading to successful crops and a rapid growth in population. For vampires, this increase in population and the urbanization that followed in its wake meant it was much easier for us to move around and blend in."

A few more questions were asked and I did my best to answer all of them but I found it increasingly hard to concentrate on anything but the enchanting swell of Sookie's breasts under the soft fabric of her dress. Finally I let the class go, promising to continue where we left off tomorrow night.

Two female students lingered behind after everyone except Sookie left and invited me to join them for 'a drink'. I could feel jealousy flare up in Sookie and could not help but smile. This apparently made one of the girls think my smile was intended for her and she placed her hand on my arm. I gently removed it and took a step back, declining their offer politely. The girls left and I instantly closed the distance between me and Sookie making her gasp in surprise.

"Do you have any idea how _hard _it was for me to be so close to you and not be able to touch you?" I said in a low voice, my lips almost touching her ear.

"I think I might have some idea…" she said, kissing me softly and then moving a step back.

I looked at her questioningly and she laughed.

"If we don't leave we'll never get there…" She said and held out her small hand to me. I kissed her fingers before following her out.

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_**Reviews are Inspiration**_


	13. Chapter 13

I will not bore all of you with the reasons for my long absence. I hope chapter 13 is to your liking. It contains an extremely tender lemon so I beg all of you who were hoping for something hotter to forgive me…and stay tuned for next chapter ;)

My Secret O is the best friend and content editor in the universe and I wish we didn't live 7,000 miles apart :(

Charlaine Harris is the sole owner of the SVM; I just wish sometimes she was kinder to her characters…

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**Unexpected**** - chapter 13**

We made our way to the car and I opened Sookie's door for her before moving to the driver's seat.

"Are you hungry?" I asked as we left the parking lot.

"Not yet. I thought we could explore the park a bit and then go to _Rosa Bonheur_. It's very informal, has drinks, food, music and dancing, and it's located right inside the park."

"Is the park open all night long?"

"Not really, it actually closes at 20:00 in the winter months," a mischievous smile played at the corner of her mouth as she answered my question.

"So we will have it all to ourselves then?" It was my turn to smile at the possibilities this discovery brought to mind.

"Yes, I suppose we will…do you object?" Her tone turned playful and my smile grew.

"Not at all, Lover, it will allow us to explore the park more…fully"

I parked on one of the streets surrounding the park and quickly opened Sookie's door for her. The street was almost deserted but I could hear music and lively conversation coming from just inside the park wall.

"Did you intend on getting us in the park or were you counting on me to do it?" I asked as we approached the closed gates.

"I wouldn't dream of having you break into the park on my behalf." She smiled and pulled me into a deep recess in the wall. The space was small and Sookie wrapped her arms around my neck. I leaned down to kiss her and my lips touched hers when I felt the rush of her power engulfing me as she transported us inside the park.

I kissed her deeply, lifting her up and moaning as her legs wrapped around my waist. I finally broke the kiss to allow her to breathe, taking in our surroundings.

We were standing inside a small Belvedere, fashioned after the temple of Vesta in Tivoli. The structure was situated on top of a cliff, affording a panoramic view of the city around it.

Sookie turned around in my arms to look at the view laying her head against my chest.

"This is one of my favorite spots in Paris." She said quietly.

"I can understand why…it's very peaceful. Have you been to the original Roman temple?"

"I have never been to Italy…but I hope to someday." We stood there for a while, watching the city lights twinkle below us and I allowed the soft sound of Sookie's breathing and the steady beat of her heart to wash over me, filling me with a sense of fulfillment. All was right in the world as I held her in my arms.

"Would you like to see the rest of the park?" Sookie finally asked, breaking the comfortable silence between us. I planted a soft kiss on her temple then moved aside.

She took my hand in hers, leading me to the other side of the small island where we crossed a bridge overhanging the small lake at the foot of the rocky hill.

When we reached the other side I turned around to look at the Belvedere from our new position, enjoying the sharp contrast between its classical, neat lines and light colored stone and the dark, sharp edges of the sheer rock face that supported it.

We turned right, soon reaching the entrance to a small grotto. A waterfall cascaded through a narrow opening in the rock at the far side of the rather high cavern. The grotto and the waterfall, like the rest of the park, were man-made but surprisingly that did not detract from their beauty.

"It's hard to imagine this was once a quarry." Sookie's voice seemed to linger in the cavernous space for a second. She had taken a few steps away from me to observe the cascading of the water.

"This area was distinctively less groomed when I was here last." I said as I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around her slim waist. Sookie closed her eyes briefly and I could feel her contentment at my touch.

"So you've been here before?" She asked, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

"Oh yes. This place has served many different purposes throughout the centuries. From the 13th century until the French revolution it housed the Montfacon gallows. The executions used to attract large crowds where a hungry vampire could always find a way to satisfy his hunger."

"Sounds lovely…" she said sarcastically and I smiled in response.

"During the restoration the area became the dumping ground for the garbage of the surrounding neighborhoods. It was really quite horrible before Napoleon III decided to turn it into a park."

"Were you here when the park was being built?"

"Yes, I was in Paris in 1866 when the park was still a work in progress and I took the time one night to examine what had already been achieved. It was an ambitious project and an impressive change from the area's previous state but what impressed me the most were the trees. Rare and exotic trees, some of which I have never seen before, as I had yet to make my way to North America, were brought from all over the world to populate the park. It was not an easy feat to accomplish and for a while it aroused great interest in France and beyond it."

Sookie sighed as she rested her head against my chest and we stood there a moment longer before leaving the grotto. We walked around the lake, admiring the trees draping over the water.

We turned left to make our way up through the trees until we reached the top of the hill. Sprawling lawns and well maintained flower beds covered this side of the slope flanked by a small wooded area on the right.

"You must be cold…and hungry. I'll fly us to 'Rosa Bonheur' if you show me where it is." She smiled, pointing at a small structure on the other side of the lake.

"I was not aware those still existed."

"What, Guinguettes? It seems they've been making a comeback."

"So it seems." I said as she wrapped her arms around me jumping up so her legs could wrap around my waist. I wanted nothing more than to peel off the soft layers of her clothes and bury myself inside her, but I could feel her shivering slightly, reminding myself that she felt the cold much more keenly than me.

"You will have to fly us back outside the park since the restaurant is fenced off, to prevent the guests from wondering the park after hours…" Sookie said and we both smiled.

I flew us down the hill, landing in the shade of the large wall of the park and we made our way to the gate where Sookie let the security guard inspect the content of her purse before we were allowed to proceed inside.

The restaurant had been very closely restored to its 19th century appearance. The small two-story building in the back was painted red and adorned with white window frames while the lower, rectangular building in front of it had white walls and columns, topped with a forest green, trellised frame. The one obvious concession to modern standards had been to connect the space in between the columns with windows and a door, which traditionally would have been left open.

Once inside I was pleasantly surprised to see the place retained much of its traditional atmosphere, a lively combination of a pub, restaurant and dance venue. We were quickly led to an open table and I could feel Sookie's relief at the pleasantly warm temperature inside.

Sookie ordered a light meal of soup and bread accompanied by a glass of wine and I chose a bottle of O Negative from a new brand I was not familiar with. The place was full but not crowded and had a very relaxed and informal air.

"It's nice isn't it?" Sookie asked as I was looking around.

I nodded, smiling at her obvious enjoyment. I took her hand in mine, caressing the soft skin of her wrist and palm and couldn't help the satisfied smile brought on by the small shiver that ran through her in response.

"Lovely." I said as my gaze finally alighted on her beautiful face. She smiled, returning my gaze, and we were silent for a few moments until the waitress returned with our order.

The blood I had ordered had a distinct aroma of herbs which was unusual, but tasted surprisingly nice.

Sookie seemed to be enjoying her food and I watched, mesmerized, as she slowly warmed up by absorbing the soup's heat, her complexion taking on a rosy glow.

"You truly are beautiful." I smiled at her, leaning across the table to caress the side of her neck with my fingers.

"Thank you." She said softly, lowering her gaze slightly.

"Should we ask for the check? It feels a little crowded here all of a sudden…" She asked quietly and I could feel her lust.

"Of course." I raised my hand, getting our waitress' attention and letting her know we wished to leave.

I paid, helping Sookie back into her coat and we quickly made our way back to the car. I turned on the heat so Sookie would be comfortable.

"Will you be staying with me tonight?" I asked, suddenly anxious that she might wish me to return her home.

She nodded emphatically and I relaxed in my seat. We drove in silence for a moment, my hand caressing her thigh.

"We have been spending an unusual amount of time together these past few days and I find myself reluctant to part with you, even for an evening," I said basking in the warmth of her smile. "There is an important event I am supposed to attend Friday evening and I was hoping you would agree to accompany me." I glanced in her direction.

"I would love to. What kind of event are we talking about?"

"It is the annual winter party given by Etienne Leblanc, one of my oldest friends and the vampire Sheriff of Paris." Sookie raised a shapely eyebrow in question. I interpreted it as a request for more information, so I continued.

"Invitations to Etienne's parties are extremely sought after. The guests are always interesting and the entertainment is unique."

"So most of the party guests are vampires?" She asked and I could feel her trepidation even though it didn't register on her face.

"Yes. But other supernaturals are invited, as well as some human companions. I doubt that any of the fae will be present though which is why if you decide to accompany me there are some precautions I would like to take." She gestured for me to continue.

"I would like us to exchange blood before the party. It is the only way I feel I can ensure your safety amongst my kind. Not only are you the most beautiful and enchanting woman I have ever met, which is sure to garner you significant attention at the party, you are also Niall Brigant's great-granddaughter. I fear that the combination would lead someone at the party to act rashly. If we were to exchange blood then everyone would have to recognize that you are mine and I would be well within my rights to eliminate any kind of threat to your safety." Sookie was silent for a few moments and I could tell from the turmoil of her emotions she was unsure about her response.

"You do not have to give me your answer now. You have until Friday to decide."

"Thank you. I appreciate your patience. I need to consider the implications and I don't want to make a hasty decision. Speaking of serious decisions…what is the dress code for this party?" She smiled playfully.

"I believe it is a black tie event." I said, smiling at her change of subject. I could not but appreciate her for wishing to deliberate before she made her decision. If she chose to accept my offer we would be one exchange away from forming a permanent bond, a prospect I was oddly excited about. It would behoove her to consider thoroughly whether this was something she wished to do.

"Oh, I don't know if I have anything…" She started saying then suddenly burst into laughter, shaking her head. It was my turn to raise a questioning eyebrow.

"My Gran gave me an early Christmas gift yesterday, a beautiful evening dress and a necklace." she stopped to wipe a tear from the corner of her eye and I looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to explain.

"She is extremely intuitive and always seems to have some inclination regarding things that haven't taken place yet. She said she had a feeling I might need them soon."

"That is a useful gift. Does that mean she approves of our…relationship?"

"She didn't seem to object when I told her about you. I couldn't quite decipher her reaction, but she did encourage me to acknowledge my…feelings…" She said, seemingly uncomfortable.

"Your grandmother sounds like a fascinating woman; I hope to meet her someday."

"I think I would like that." She smiled at me, resting her hand on mine.

"Oh, I need to call Claudine!" She exclaimed suddenly.

"Who is Claudine?"

"She is my cousin. She wants to become an angel but in the meantime she takes her job as my fairy god mother very seriously. She also runs a small and very exclusive boutique and carries the most amazing one of kind fashion miracles."

"It sounds like you and Pam have a lot in common. I think you would like her. She is very serious about her fashion and has all of her clothes from the past 350 years in storage, in mint condition." Sookie looked at me wide eyed, and I felt her shock and excitement.

"I've always been fascinated with historical fashion but there is so little of it left, I would love to see Pam's clothes sometime!" I chuckled at her enthusiasm.

"You can ask her when she gets here on Thursday. Pam is always ready to talk about clothes."

"I can't wait to meet her. Is she coming for the party?"

"Yes. She and Godric will both be attending. Pam never misses one of Etienne's parties but it has been a while since Godric graced one with his presence. I suspect his wish to meet you is the true reason for his arrival."

"Wow…what if he doesn't like me?" I could feel her apprehension at the thought of meeting my maker.

"That is not possible. Godric wishes for me to be happy and this is the happiest I have been in a millennia. He could not find fault with you for there is none to be found." I said, drawing near to the curb and parking the car near the entrance to my building.

I quickly helped Sookie out of the car and into the building. She was struggling with doubts and misgivings and I intended to do everything within my power to alleviate her distress.

When we were finally inside my apartment I took Sookie's coat from her, steering her into the large, plush sofa in front of the fireplace. I kneeled before her removing first one boot then the other.

As I massaged her feet, working my way up to her calves I could feel her tension dissipating and her muscles relaxing.

"Mmmm…" she moaned appreciatively, resting her head against the chair's back. "I could get used to this…" she said, closing her eyes.

"I was hoping you could. It is part of my plan to keep you here, with me, until further notice." I said, disguising the real extent of my wish for her to always stay by my side with a playful smile.

I slipped my hands under the hem of her dress, slowly running my fingers up the sides of her thighs to her waist where I found the edge of her warm tights pulling them down her legs in one swift motion, along with her panties.

Sookie's soft moan and the sweet scent of her arousal told me she approved but she remained perfectly still allowing me to continue my exploration of her delightful body.

I returned my attention to Sookie's now bare legs relishing the feel of her warm, smooth skin. I continued to massage her muscles until I could feel every last bit of tension released.

I picked her up effortlessly moving us both to lie on our sides, facing each other on the very large sofa. I kissed her slowly, reverently, content for now to allow our lips to be the only point of content between our bodies. I could not recall ever being moved to such extents by a mere kiss. Kissing Sookie at this moment felt like the only thing I could ever wish to do and I was unable to stop even if I wished to do so. I could not bring myself to see or feel anything but her taste, her scent, the delicious warmth radiating from her body barely touching mine, and I could feel my whole being rejoice in our touch. Sookie's hands went up to tangle in my hair and we both gasped when I finally pulled our bodies closer skimming her shoulder with my hand while the other trailed down her back to her utterly perfect and luscious ass.

Our kisses became fevered as I rolled Sookie on her back, freeing her from her dress and bra before swiftly disrobing myself and covering her small frame with my own. Sookie's warm hands trailed down my back as I kissed her again, slowly, passionately, feeling dazed and yet completely focused on the emotions I was experiencing. Sookie's small hand moved between us to position me at her entrance and I tried for a second to delay but was powerless to resist her wet heat. I looked into her deep blue eyes as I thrust inside her slowly and we both shivered with uncontrollable pleasure and desire. I was overwhelmed by the intensity of the emotion flowing between us as I caressed her face, her hair and every part of her body I could reach, our moans and sighs filling the room. It was as if our souls were touching and not simply our bodies. The sounds of our pleasure reached my ears as if they were coming from afar as wave after wave of emotion crashed over me. As we made love I surrendered myself completely, letting everything else beside my love for Sookie fade into the background. Sookie's orgasm, followed closely by my own returned me to my senses but we were so utterly engrossed in each other that it was only after Sookie's breathing had returned to normal that I noticed the change in our surroundings. The room around us disappeared completely, replaced by a star filled sky the likes of which I have never seen. The air was warm and a light breeze carried a sweet flowery scent on its wings. I had no clue as to where we were but could detect no immediate threat to Sookie or mine's well being. Sookie was silent but I could see a tear slipping from the corner of her eye and feel the turmoil of her emotions. I rolled to my back and embraced her in my arms, kissing her temple and running my hands down her back in an attempt to soothe her.

"älskling, gråt inte; vi är säkra." (Sweetheart, don't cry; we are safe.) I whispered, feeling her relax slightly in my arms.

"Eric…I don't know what to do…I have no control over this but I think I might know what's causing it and I'm afraid it will change things between us."

"There is nothing you can say or do that will change the way I feel about you." She sighed in response, burying her face in my chest before raising to a sitting position her eyes searching my face as if looking for something. Seemingly satisfied with what she found she inhaled deeply and I could feel her resignation.

"I've fallen in love with you. I didn't mean for it to happen; I didn't even think it was possible. I know we've just met, and I know you're only here for two weeks but…I love you and I think this has something to do with my feelings for you. It seems the stronger they get, the stronger this becomes." She said quietly, gesturing around us.

I felt her emotions: apprehension, relief and above all love swirled like the contents of a kaleidoscope inside me. It was as if she had finally allowed herself to feel, releasing the tight control she had been exercising on herself. When she took my blood I thought I caught a glimpse of her love but it was very brief as she soon fell asleep and I did not dare to hope her feelings truly matched mine so soon. I would have never pressured her, accepting whatever she chose to give at the pace she chose to give it, but I was elated that she seemed to feel as strongly about me as I did her. Sookie turned her face away from me and I suddenly realized that I had yet to respond to her statement. I sat up, taking both her hands in mine and drawing her gaze into my own.

"älskade…" (Beloved) I lifted her hands to my lips, kissing her fingers softly.

"I am over a 1,000 years old and I did not know I could feel this way. If what I feel for you is not love then I know not what is. I have not spoken these words in a very long time and never have I meant them the way I do now for I love you and now that I know what it feels like to be with you cannot bear the thought of returning to my former existence without you. I understand that you feel like you have no control over your magic but you are not alone. We will find a way." Sookie leaned forward resting her forehead against mine and I lay back down pulling her with me so I could wrap my arms around her. We stayed like that for hours, watching the starlit sky, until the effects of her magic faded and the room returned to its previous appearance.

"We will think about this tomorrow. It is time for both of us to rest." I said, lifting her in my arms as she nodded her consent carrying her to the bed and pulling the covers on top of us. I listened to her breathing and heartbeat even out as she fell asleep. I was so full of emotion I almost believed rest was impossible but as always, when the first rays of sun appeared in the sky, the ancient magic that animated my kind pulled me into my day rest. I fought it just long enough to whisper in Sookie's ear, hoping somehow my words of love would carry into her dreams, then I rested my head on the pillow and closed my eyes allowing the deepest sleep to carry me into oblivion.

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*A guinuette is an open-air restaurant/bar/dance venue that was extremely popular in France in the 19'th century and up until the 1960's. It really is experiencing a come-back and the _Rosa Bonheur_ is a real live guinguette located in the lovely Buttes des Chaumont park.

_**Even if inspiration is slow, it is still fueled by your reviews…**_


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